


Cursed Promise

by LunaTheAwesomeJordan



Series: Their Precious Little One [1]
Category: The Vampire Diaries (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Developing Friendships, Family Issues, Gen, LGBTQ Female Character, Male-Female Friendship, Prequel
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-08-31
Updated: 2021-03-01
Packaged: 2021-03-06 19:33:39
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 23,879
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26284228
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LunaTheAwesomeJordan/pseuds/LunaTheAwesomeJordan
Summary: In which the Mikaelsons precious little one is reborn into the doppelganger family again, where a pledge between sisters was doomed from the start...
Series: Their Precious Little One [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1909777
Kudos: 13





	1. 1001 AD

**Author's Note:**

> Original Characters and Ideas, and Anything New Revolving Around Characters is Owned by My Co-Author and I
> 
> Dedicated to TheMadisonReader and softpagan96 from Wattpad
> 
> Co-Written with Samanddean18 from Wattpad
> 
> Warnings in Ending Notes

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Tatia has a strange younger sister...

**♬ Hurts Like Hell - Fleurie ♬**

* * *

Deep in the green woods, but not far from civilization, there laid a small clearing with nothing but beautiful flowers known as Chrysanthemums. Lying in the middle of the flowery field was a young girl so full of compassion, going well through her fifteenth year; her name was Seline. With her hair short and burgundy brown, and eyes like russet, her ivory skin appeared to glisten beneath the rays of light, giving off a faux shimmering effect. Her palms rested on the mahogany fabric of her tunic dress, brushing against it ever-so-gently.

Baring her pearly whites, she smiled at the cloudless sky, thinking of nothing but the beauty of the world surrounding her; the birds were singing, the wind was gentle, the trees were flourishing, and the weather was fine. She was at peace, calm and content.

Without warning, the rustling of shrubbery and crackling of broken fallen branches sounded from nearby, briefly startling the girl as she sat up from her resting place. Eyes searching until the location of the noises was found, she did not show fear; as unexpected as the sounds were, she was not afraid of whatever lurked inside the vast forest. “Is someone there?” she calmly called out, wondering if it was just a roaming critter or a person of her village. She supposed that she’d find out soon.

Shortly thereafter, a young boy, likely within his twelfth year, sheepishly revealed himself from behind the shrubbery; at length with her own, his hair was as dark as night, yet they shared the same color; his eyes were sweet and luminous, a lovely shade of deep brown; his skin-tone was nearly porcelain; he was clothed in an azure tunic, which reminded her of the sky. She watched him patiently as he bashfully glanced at the flowers, looking almost ashamed for being caught.

He’d simply been exploring the forest, curious as to what lied beyond the village, when he came upon the field. Hoping to gather some flowers for his darling mother and beloved sister, he noticed the older girl lying peacefully within them. He hadn’t wanted to disturb her, so he hidden himself in hopes of secretly collecting what he desired. However, when he moved for one of the Chrysanthemums, he unintentionally caused the loud disturbance, leading up to that fateful moment.

Staring at the boy in wonder, Seline spoke to him gently. “Why are you here by your lonesome, little one? Have you gotten lost?”

Briefly taken by surprise, having expected a rigorous response, he took a moment to reply. “...My home is near. I merely longed to see what lay in these parts of the vastly greens. When I came across the field, I only wanted to gather flowers for my family but I wished not to alarm you, thus I hid.” He flushed. “Unsuccessfully.” Gulping, he finally locked eyes with her and saw only gentleness. He relaxed slightly. “Why are you here alone?”

Seline turned her soft gaze towards the atmosphere. “The wind called me.” Smiling slowly, she briefly glanced back at him. “Listen,” she whispered, words almost inaudible to his ears.

The boy does as instructed; he listened. Seconds later, the wind blew gently again, causing the flowers to rustle for a short time. Gasping in awe, he stared at the female. “You are magic!”

She shook her head gently, still smiling as she glanced at him once more. “No,” she clarified softly. “I am not.” She looked back to the atmosphere, studying the calming of the wind. “Nature is simply trying to tell us something. However, their words fall on deaf ears; only the clairvoyant can hear their calls to the fullest.”

Further intrigued by the strange girl, the nameless boy entered the field without fear. Mindful of the flowers, he took a place beside her, sitting in the very center of the clearing. He gazed at the blooms growing around them, finally able to have a closer inspection. “Do the flowers contain magic?”

Seline brushed her fingers against one of the white Chrysanthemums. “Certain ones, yes, just as with any other form of flower.” She picked it from the ground and held it out to him. “These here are known as Chrysanthemums; they contain healing remedies but are additionally useful for decoration or mourning.” Continuously in awe, the boy took the flower from her, remaining delicate. She stares at him with unrelenting kindness. “How did your adventures bring you here specifically? As you’ve said, the forest is vast; it is easy to become lost if you are not aware of your destination.”

”Perhaps it was the wind that guided me,” the boy answered, gazing back at her.

She was unable to contain her fit of laughter, however small it was; unwittingly, she made the boy smile. “Why, yes, perhaps it was.” She gazed at their atmosphere. “Perhaps that is what we fail to hear; they just may be telling us we were fated to unite.”

The boy became bashful again, avoiding her gaze. ”...Can you tell me more about the flowers?”

”Certainly,” Seline began. She pointed at the Chrysanthemum she’d given him. “See how this one is white?” The boy nodded, listening to her every word. “There is meaning behind every color; red symbolizes love, yellow symbolizes neglected love or sorrow, violet symbolizes a wish to get well or health.” She placed the tip of her finger against the head of the flower. “White symbolizes loyalty and devoted love.” Removing her hand from the flower, she picked another from the field; a red one. “Chrysanthemums are believed to mainly represent forms of happiness, though sadness is depicted, too. It is why they tend to be well known.”

Looking at the boy, she held the red bloom to him. Grinning, he took it; he had gotten what he desired when first arriving at the clearing but with it came an unexpected friendship. He was grateful. “Chry…” He struggled to pronounce the big word. “Mums are magnificent.”

Seline nodded. “Yes, which is why they are my favorite of all flowers.” Carefully, she stood from the ground, gently brushing off the dirt on her clothing. She looked down upon the boy, who gazed at her in curiosity. “I believe it is time you returned home; your family is likely concerned about your whereabouts.”

The boy frowned but knew she was correct; his family was probably wondering where he was. With the blooms in his hand, he stood. He hesitated, however, to move any further; he didn’t want to leave his new friend behind. His frown faded, though, when Seline grabbed his free hand; she was going with him. Together, they walked out of the field and away from the clearing, entering the green forest. It wasn’t long before he started speaking to her again, displeased with the silence. “I’m sorry,” he apologized.

She was confused. “Whatever for?”

”I never told you my name, yet you are assisting me home,” he pointed out. “And you helped me pick flowers.”

Seline suddenly became a bit panicked. “Oh, goodness me.” She felt terrible; she hadn’t asked for his name and didn’t give out her own. “Nor have I revealed mine. My apologies, little one. I am referred to as Seline by the people who care for me.” She felt less guilty.

The boy blinked, thinking the name over. “Seline,” he mused. “Your name is pleasant. I am Henrik.”

Seline smiled again.  _ W _ hat a lovely name. “It is an honor to have befriended you, Henrik.”

* * *

Beyond the trees, where grass met with paved dirt, laid a village, home of few mundanes and a large pack of wolves, who only turned during the full moon. Makeshift fire pits for burning or boiling, benches for work, hanging lines for clothing, buckets for washing, and huts for rest, there was all one needed to have a fulfilled life. Everyone was minding their own, doing what they must to continue surviving. However, one particular family seemed to stand out; the mundanes, otherwise known as humans.

Laughing gleefully by a hut was a young woman by the name of Tatia. The resemblance between her and Seline was uncanny; they were siblings, appearing almost exactly alike, minor differences between the two: Tatia was older by seven Earth revolutions, her identical colored hair was much longer and hanged in braids, she had a slightly different bone structure in specific parts of her body (namely her cheeks), and her physique was slightly athletic, though slim. Apart from that, they looked quite the same, even sharing the same taste of tunic dresses, though Tatia’s was blue and appeared to be a bit more detailed compared to the dullness of Seline’s.

The cause of her laughter was none other than the two gentlemen standing across from her as she lightly twirled the tips of her hair around her finger; they were objects of her affection, though she adored one over the other; even so, that did not prevent her from continuously stringing him along anyway. The men were brothers, both with flowing hair, one blonde and the other brunet; the latter stood taller and muscular, eyes of brown; in comparison, the other’s physique was more rangy but still muscular with a more chiseled jawline, and his eyes were a handsome blue; both wore tunics and pants that varied from each other, though their clothing was mainly of leather; their names were Elijah and Niklaus, and they shared the same form of affection for the woman before them.

Standing some feet away with a look of disdain was the ever-so-lovely Rebekah; she was not fond of the woman like her brothers were, seeing what she believed was Tatia’s true motive; pitting two brothers against one another for the sake of being entertained. The woman wasn’t even that pretty; she couldn’t see what everyone saw in her. Rebekah believed herself to be more beautiful; in comparison to her lovesick brothers, her skin was almost olive, a slightly darker tone than them, and while her blonde hair was considerably long, it was held in a long side braid that hung across her shoulder; her eyes were a striking blue. Gripping her gray tunic dress, she attempted to take her leave, not wishing to witness any more of Tatia’s manipulation, but stopped in her tracks when her mother sprinted from their hut in panic.

The woman, Esther, was equally as beautiful, despite her expression of fright; Rebekah had inherited not only her beauty and slim physique but the color of her flowing hair and most of her many sons had inherited her eye color. As every woman in the village, she wore a tunic dress of some kind, though hers tended to stand out the most. Alas, her lovely appearance was nothing of importance; her youngest was missing. While two more of her sons were nowhere in sight along with her husband, she knew where they were. Henrik was supposed to be indoors.

Teary-eyed, Esther approached her daughter with haste; nearby, Elijah and Niklaus took notice of their mother’s panic and quickly moved to be in closer distance from her and their sister, Tatia following behind with faux looks of concern. Esther addressed them all. “Do you know of Henrik’s whereabouts? I cannot find him.”

Before any of her children could give her an answer, the young boy in question ran out from the forest alone and with a huge grin as he held two flowers firmly in his grasp. “Mother, sister!” he specifically called as he ran to them, gaining their attention. Once near, he was scooped into the arms of his mother, who held him tightly there as his siblings watched in relief. In his hand remained the two Chrysanthemums. “Mother, sister,” Henrik repeated when his mother finally released him. “Look what I found.” He held out the flowers.

“How lovely,” Rebekah commented with a soft smile. Gently, she took the white bloom.

“Where have you been?” Esther demanded, looking over Henrik for signs of injury. “You gave me a fright.” He pointed to the forest. As his mother and siblings gazed to where he gestured, Seline finally stepped out from behind a tree; she’d temporarily remained behind to give the family some necessary space and time to reunite.

With a gasp, Esther glanced towards Tatia briefly before returning her eyes to where Seline stood, remaining surprised; she was previously unaware of their relation, as were the rest of the family. In shock, the brothers stared at the newcomer that looked much like their beloved Tatia. In disbelief, Rebekah shook her head in denial; there couldn’t be two of them, one was enough.

Out of curiosity, of what had the family so bewildered, Tatia looked towards the edge of the forest; her eyes widened in horror. Her secret was finally being revealed, something she always dreaded; she hoped the girl would’ve taken ill and passed by then but fate had other plans, it seemed. Perhaps it was her karma for failure to take her own life upon her husband’s funeral pyre. Perhaps it was her fault for not personally dealing with her unwanted sister.

Turning her gaze back towards the family, Tatia found them staring at her, their eyes still full of emotion from the unexpected revelation. Visibly becoming embarrassed, she internally cursed her sister’s presence; she was supposed to remain hidden until her inevitable demise. Like those villagers promised, no one was meant to learn of her existence; they failed and the world was punishing Tatia for it. Gulping, she lowered her head in shame. “This was not how I planned on informing you of my sister,” she stated. “I should have told you much sooner but I feared many would think little of me for being incapable of caring for her.”

Tatia glanced up, faux tears in her eyes as she explored their expressions; apart from Rebekah and Henrik, the family was giving her sympathetic looks. From the corner of her eye, Seline was approaching them with uncertainty. “She has been living in the village for some time; some kind folks took her in while I was still in mourning of my late husband. They thought it best to keep her sheltered, to protect her naivety.” She clasped her hands together nervously, hoping her fibs would hold together. “When I finally felt able to look after her, I saw how much she loved her home and decided to stay away; she deserved better than anything I could have given her.” The only truth was that of the shelterment; all else were false statements.

The family was speechless, uncertain of what to say about the situation; Rebekah was simply uncaring towards the whole ordeal, so she did not bother commenting, and Henrik was focused on more childish matters; the rest were crossed between intrigued and commiserated. When they turned to eye the girl again, they were taken aback by how much closer she stood. Seline smiled sheepishly. “My apologies for startling you. I wished to explain what occurred before I returned to my home.” She glanced down at Henrik, who grinned up at her. Her smile grew. “There is a clearing in the forest not far from here; within it lies many Chrysanthemums. I tend to spend my time there whenever I choose to be outdoors. Your son happened across it today while he was exploring and decided to keep me company.” She gazed back towards Esther, continuing to smile. “I thought it best to help him find his way back.”

With a soft expression, Esther smiled at her. “Thank you. You have done this family a great service.” She was wholeheartedly grateful for her son’s safe return.

Seline waved her hand swiftly, not dismissing the appreciation but rather deeming it unnecessary. “I need no thanks. I simply did what one should in such situations.” She glanced back down at Henrik. “It was a pleasure to have your company, Henrik.” She looked at Esther once more. “I apologize for any inconvenience on my part.” She looked at Niklaus, Elijah, and Tatia. “Gentlemen, sister, I bid you a wonderful day.” Still smiling, she nodded her head slightly to them all. “Farewell.”

Beginning to leave, Seline started walking away from the family’s home, heading towards the direction of her own, which laid on the far side of the village where no one could see her if she snuck out, which she did continuously. She wasn’t far away from the family when someone grabbed her hand. Humming in confusion, she stopped walking and glanced down; Henrik had run after her. “Can’t you stay?” he asked, frowning, eyes hopeful. “I want you to stay.”

Seline glanced towards Henrik’s family and Tatia; his family seemed further intrigued because of the boy’s attachment to her and Tatia was looking anywhere but towards them, disinterested. She looked back at Henrik, giving him a gentle smile before speaking softly. “Unfortunately, I cannot. I have clothing and other forms of work that I need to help attend to.” She frowned and felt guilty when Henrik became sadder. “However,” she added. “If your mother is okay with it, you can come along.” Seeing his eyes light up, she smiled again. “We may need a strong little lad, such as yourself, keeping guard; we never know when a misfit may come and delay us.” Contact with those outside her home, excluding her sister, was off limits, but she already broke the rule and didn’t see the point in its existence either way; everyone was so nice, why couldn’t she speak with them?

Henrik turned, looking at his mother with excitement, who had approached them. In her hand was the red bloom. “Can I, Mother? She said she needs my help. Please?”

Esther gazed at him softly before looking Seline in the eye. “I have never seen my son so taken with a stranger. However, because you have my undying gratitude for keeping him safe, he may go with you. I trust you will continue to watch over him.”

”Certainly,” Seline responded without hesitation. “With my life.” Satisfied with the answer, Esther nodded and walked away, heading back to her home without asking for the female’s name, nor sharing her own; she didn’t need it, Henrik had all but screamed it when he sprinted after the girl and though Esther trusted Seline with her son, she was still a stranger; she’d have to earn the right to know her name as she had earned the right for belief.

Walking through the village, heading towards her home, Seline held Henrik’s hand; she giggled and smiled at the wild stories he told her of his family, though the only names she learnt were Niklaus and Rebekah. She could tell, however, that the boy loved his family loads despite not naming them all. She wished her relations with her sister were as close; she longed to spend much time with her like Henrik did with his siblings.

As they grew closer to their destination, Seline wondered about something; Henrik knew her sister, yet when they met in the field, he never mentioned their resemblance once. He still failed to bring attention towards the topic. She was curious as to why. “You know of my sister, yet you shared no expression of surprise like your family when you met me today.” She glanced at him, tilting her head. “Did you not know of my relation to her from first glance?”

”I did,” Henrik beamed, looking proud of himself.

Confused, Seline continued to question him on the subject. “Why say nothing of it?”

Henrik stared at her. “I thought it would be rude; I only just met you.”

Pausing in her step, putting his own walking to a halt, Seline grinned and pulled him closer, holding his hand a bit more firmly but not tightly. “Oh, littlest one. I adore you.” Reaching over, she brought her fingers against his side, giving him a tickle. He involuntarily jerked away, laughing; he never released her hand, though. She quickly entered a fit of laughter herself.

Shortly thereafter, they recommenced walking and soon arrived at her home, where her caretakers awaited outside. Upon noticing the boy with her, and seeing that she hadn’t returned from the direction of the forest surrounding them, her guardians threw a fit and scolded her in front of Henrik, who found that he didn’t like them very much. After more yelling and stern talking, the caretakers gave up their fit of anger as it was already too late to prevent her existence from being known, considering the two had strolled through the entire village to get there. With sighs, they agreed to let the boy help; thus, Henrik watched, keeping an eye out for unwanted attention while the ladies did their work.

* * *

Multiple daily cycles passed. Seline spent most of her time in the Chrysanthemum fields, something that never changed from her original routine, but she always had the company of Henrik, after permission from his mother, who tolerated her presence in her youngest son’s life; Esther, indeed, was eternally grateful for the protection. Another switch from her previous ways of living was that she consistently visited Henrik’s home, with the reluctant permission of her caretakers, not just to see the youngest boy but to meet his other siblings and father, and to try establishing bonds. It didn’t entirely work out in her favor, but she was patient and felt no malice; not everyone would like her, she wasn’t that naive.

First, there was Mikael and Finn, Henrik’s father and eldest brother; the former was unrelentingly harsh and hostile while the latter was simply indifferent. Mikael disliked the young girl from the moment he laid eyes onto her; he may have tolerated Tatia, if only for the fact that she would continue the legacy, but Seline was far too innocent and would not last as the wife to a viking. His intolerance and hatred for the girl grew further when he spotted her conversing with a wolf, a species he despised living among; he spoke many harsh words to her, and she ultimately cried in privacy shortly after, but not once did she talk back to the man. As for Finn, he simply shared no particular interest in befriending Seline but treated her fairly upon his mother’s request.

Then, there was Elijah and Rebekah, two out of the three siblings she met when returning Henrik to his home the first time. Elijah was kind from the moment they began properly interacting, but that was a rarity to be seen since he spent much of his time either with specific family members or Tatia; unfortunately, they never sustained a friendship. With Rebekah, there was a lot of hostility at first; she didn’t like her by association with Tatia. She honestly believed the young girl to be like her, manipulative and insincere; she thought Seline would potentially pit her other brothers (Finn and Kol) against each other since Niklaus and Elijah already had their hands full with Tatia but eventually grew to realize that was false and regretted her private assumptions. Thus, instead of silently judging the girl and no longer willing to continue ignoring her, Rebekah approached her one daily cycle to ask of the Chrysanthemum field, which Seline gladly guided her to with Henrik. She decided to befriend Seline when the girl made claims that Rebekah was prettier than the flowers and from then on, whenever they interacted, they would return to the field to chat amongst themselves while Henrik skipped through the blooms surrounding them.

Next, there was Kol. Just as Finn, he felt indifferent towards Seline when he met her; she was just some girl that happened to be related to Tatia, who he didn’t care for either. However, that changed when he spotted the girl watching him in awe as he practiced witchcraft; he winked playfully before calling her forward, allowing Seline a closer glimpse, giving brief explanations of what he was doing; that began his lively behavior towards her. In time, Seline became his little helper who he grew to adore dearly.

Finally, there was Niklaus, another sibling Seline met when she guided Henrik home. He was the hardest to befriend; not only did he spend a lot of time around Tatia, but he actively avoided being near Seline, making the girl uncertain of what the man thought of her. Perhaps, like most of the other siblings, he was indifferent. Such mannerism remained for a while.

Many more daily cycles passed as she grew closer to Henrik, Rebekah, and Kol, all whilst still attempting to create a proper interaction with Niklaus, somewhat developing a stronger relationship with Esther (ameliorated to family friend), actively avoiding Mikael like Niklaus was doing to her, trying to spend time with Tatia who also actively avoided her, and rarely managing to speak with Elijah and Finn. She wasn’t going to give up on befriending Niklaus, though, until she could properly understand him, as she did with the others; regardless of what would happen in upcoming events, she would always remain friendly, even to those that didn’t deserve it.

It was a very unfortunate circumstance that a horrid occurrence was the cause of the two finally associating; Seline witnessed the aftermath of Mikael mistreating Niklaus. She just left her home shortly after sunrise, heading to the clearing where her favorite flowers bloomed when she heard sobbing. In the vast forest, near the home of those that quickly became dear to her, she found him sitting on the ground with his back against a tree, head buried in his knees and arms resting around his legs. She approached slowly, speaking gently. “Niklaus...?”

He reacted negatively; he glanced up and glared, tears trickling down his face. “Begone!” Standing, he wiped his cheeks and pointed in the general direction of the village. “I said begone!”

Frowning, Seline ignored his request and continued slowly approaching him. “No,” she stated with firmness, bewildering him. Soon, she stood directly before him. “I will not abandon you to your sorrows.” She knew not of what happened, but was unwilling to leave him by his lonesome. She wanted to be of help. Seeing him so distraught was bringing tears to her own eyes, which surprised the man more. “I am deeply sorry for what happened, though I know not of what it was. I would give anything to have been able to prevent what gives you such pain.”

Unable to handle her kindness and his own emotions, Niklaus dropped to his knees, continuing to sob as past and recent events recurred within his mind. All he ever did was avoid the girl, yet there she was crying over his suffering; he didn’t understand it. Lost in his thoughts, he nearly missed the moment where she wrapped her arms around him. Not once did his siblings come to his aid when their father tormented him, though he could not blame them for either not knowing or being too fearful of Mikael’s wraith; yet, despite the risks she may or may not have known of, the strange sister of his love was his comfort. No longer caring about her presence to his sorrows as they grew stronger, Niklaus simply allowed the younger girl to hold him.

To his surprise, Seline never ceased to amaze him. When he relaxed after the degrading calamity, she remained by his side and refused to release him from her grasp, holding his hand as they walked to his home. However, he hesitated at the edge of the woodlands when the hut came into sight; he hadn’t wanted to face his father so soon. Through perception, Seline deciphered that Mikael was the cause of Niklaus’ distress, knowing of the man’s cruelty firsthand; she prevented Niklaus from stepping out of the forest, walking alone to gather Henrik before quickly returning.

Niklaus didn’t expect to enjoy his short time in the clearing, but he did. He silently watched the younglings play together before eventually joining in when he was comfortable, feeling an immense amount of happiness when he caused the continuous laughter of Seline and Henrik. He found himself close to tears again, but from light appreciation, when Seline gave him a yellow Chrysanthemum, which Henrik, in a naive manner, explained meant neglected love or sorrow. He listened to everything Seline said with genuine interest, getting a glimpse further into her personality. The girl was intriguing and different from those her age; he could see why Henrik adored her.

It took many more daily cycles before Niklaus truly began growing fond of Seline. Since she found him in the forest, he stopped avoiding her but never made an attempt to sustain a friendship, though he always enjoyed their brief conversations. However, despite his best efforts of preventing a befriendment, he ultimately found himself thinking of her as a dear friend. Maybe it was the short exchanges or her kind nature that developed those pleasant feelings towards the girl but he didn’t dislike it. He was quite fond of her, indeed.

Like Tatia, but by different means, Seline was becoming his whole world...

* * *

Samhain, a celebration by the ancient Celts as a festival marking the beginning of winter; the entire village was acknowledging the festivity, which featured a bonfire, dancing, masks, and communion with the dead. Whirling and frolicking around the blazes of fire without a mask, Seline was enjoying her time with Kol, her partner in dance; playful as they were, intentions were pure. His dark brown eyes gazing down upon her, Kol laughed and smiled alongside her as she twirled into his arms; one could say they were close companions of the non-romantic sort, completely comfortable with one another.

Uncertain of how long she danced with Kol, Seline squealed in surprise when she was suddenly stolen from his arms but it soon turned into a giggle when she realized it was Niklaus; anyone else and she would’ve been a bashful mess. Across from them, Kol snorted at the interaction between the two before searching for another partner, flipping his long dark hair majestically. “Niklaus,” Seline started, still giggling. “You gave me fright. You only need to ask and I shall agree.” Her smile and playfulness faded, a tone of seriousness taking place as she finally noticed his disheartened expression. “What has happened, dearest one? Who hurts you so?”

Without words, Niklaus twirled her several times before stopping, making certain that her back was against his front and her eyes were gazing upon the nearby pig pen, where the livestock remained before their inevitable slaughter; standing before it were Tatia and Elijah, and their interaction was quite platonic as they passionately locked lips. Witnessing such caused pain in Seline’s chest; her heart was breaking for Niklaus.

Gently shifting to face him again, Seline smiled sadly as she held his hands. “Oh, Niklaus,” she whispered, looking down briefly before making eye contact with him again, teary eyed. “You deserve the world and more.” Unfortunate as it was, she knew in her heart of hearts that her sister would choose Elijah once her little game was finished; she preferred men like him. Niklaus didn’t deserve that falsely returned love. “Give it time.”

Niklaus didn’t say anything, looking as though he was struggling to hold back his sorrows. Frowning, Seline held back her own and pulled the taller man closer, never releasing his hands; her dear friend needed her. Whispering soothing words of comfort, she swayed alongside him, hoping to ease his heartache, even if it was only by a slight bit; she made a witty remark about how he was better at dancing than Kol, who kept managing to step on her dress, as difficult as that was; it made Niklaus snort and crack a smile, causing Seline to grin slightly in return. Perhaps the night wasn’t a complete loss...

* * *

Seline was visiting her very young niece, who lived only a few huts away from her home with someone that wasn’t Tatia, when it happened; she wasn’t there to witness Henrik’s brutal demise. She was outside the hut, prepared to visit the family, when she learnt of their loss; after hearing the full story from a villager of how Henrik passed, Seline burst into tears as she used the nearby post to balance herself. Henrik had been too young, too pure, and too kind for that to have been how he left the Earth; he deserved a long happy life and he wasn’t going to get it. For the remainder of her days, she was going to miss the boy she’d grown so fond of; her very first friend.

Only for a brief moment did she take the time to mourn the loss of the little one before pushing her pain aside to focus on the sorrows that mattered much more; Henrik’s family was heavily distraught over his death. She could and would mourn him further after she was certain that his family, and her friends, would be okay. Their pain was far more important.

With haste, she made her way through the village, finding them in mourning outside their home. Mikael was piling wood for the funeral pyre, expression vacant of emotion (like usual); Esther was cradling Henrik’s bloodied corpse, though Seline looked away instantly to avoid openly mourning again as she thought only of the happiness the boy brought to them, sobbing uncontrollably for the loss of her youngest; Finn was trying to give his mother comfort, shedding few tears of his own; Elijah, though he wasn’t crying, was visibly pained and disheartened; Rebekah was crying in the arms of Kol, who looked to be in disbelief; Niklaus was nowhere to be seen. Giving brief condolences to most of the family, Seline hugged Rebekah and Kol for a short time before she went searching for Niklaus; he didn’t need to be alone.

Standing in the center of the Chrysanthemum field was where she found him; his back was to her and his head was tilting downwards, eyes on the yellow blooms. As she approached from behind, stepping into the field brought a flood of memories into her mind at once and she had to pause, closing her eyes as it hit her again; Henrik was gone. She would never hear him laugh or talk and would never see him smile again. Tears spilled down her cheeks as she gulped, taking a deep breath before she continued walking towards Niklaus, no longer holding back her own sorrow. They could mourn together.

Niklaus noticed her presence when he heard movement behind him; she was the only other person who’d come there, apart from himself, Rebekah, and... “When you would return home, he spoke of you and these blooms surrounding us. He would lighten at the mere mentioning of your name.” He briefly paused, getting choked up during his quiet reminisce. “He adored you so, Seline,” he almost whispered. He faced her when she was closer; like her, tears were streaming down his face. “I am at fault for his demise. I should have known better.”

Seline gently shook her head. “No. No, Niklaus, you are not at fault for this. No one is.” She reached forward, taking his hands into hers. She didn’t blame him for taking Henrik to that section of the forest and she didn’t blame the uncontrollable wolf for killing the little one; she couldn’t. “Unfortunate circumstances occur to make way for something far greater. It is unfair but certain.” Releasing his hands, she wrapped her arms around him, continuously crying. “There is a reason behind everything, including this,” she sobbed quietly. “You shall see.”

Niklaus held her in his arms tightly, afraid he’d lose her next. “I’m sorry, little one,” he whispered, resting his forehead against hers. “You’ve lost him, too.” No longer willing to speak any further, they remained in each other’s arms, sobbing out their sorrows. Henrik deserved more than the short life he’d gotten.

An unspecified period of time passed before they made the decision of returning to the village. Hands locked together, they walked to Niklaus’ home with tear stained cheeks. Upon their arrival, the dam behind their eyes nearly burst again; Henrik’s corpse was lying on the pyre, prepared for burning, which was close to beginning without them. Standing near Kol and Rebekah, they held onto one another as Mikael set the pyre aflame, properly sending off Henrik during the ceremony. They remained there until the flames died and there was nothing but ashes.

Hundreds of tears were shed as the hearts of Henrik’s family, including Seline, continued breaking. Rebekah and Seline couldn’t stop crying, Niklaus no longer was sobbing but looked completely disheartened and guilty, Kol was hurting deep down but only shared a frown as he held his sister and friend alongside Niklaus, Elijah finally shed a few tears, Finn was holding his mother, Mikael was long gone but likely saddened deep inside, and Esther’s tears were drying, determination in her eyes. None of them ever truly healed from the experience...

Late that night, Seline left a single yellow Chrysanthemum by the shrubbery near the clearing, exactly where Henrik was when he hid from Seline before they officially met...

* * *

Very few daily cycles passed. Everyone was still in midst of grieving the tremendous loss of Henrik, getting through it in their own ways; his entire family was distraught over his death, though few kept that detail hidden, Tatia was falsely mourning for Elijah’s sake and for attention, and Seline was spending too much of her time at the Chrysanthemum field, hoping to hear Henrik’s voice in the wind but never did to her utter disappointment. The loss was just so unexpected; they didn’t know how to push on.

A particularly odd occurrence happened after a while. Seline was strolling through the village, heading to her home after visiting her friends and the clearing in the forest, when her sister approached; she greeted Tatia with utmost surprise since the woman was always avoiding her to spend time with Elijah; at least that is what she always believed. Frowning, Tatia grabbed her hands and apologized for not spending time with her, and explaining that they needed to reconnect; Henrik’s death made her realize that family was the most important thing and it could be taken away in an instant. Seline believed her; she wanted a closer relationship with Tatia.

From that moment forward, the sisters were spending every moment of their time together; they’d see Tatia’s daughter (Mathilda) together, they’d visit Henrik’s family together, they would chat with the aforementioned family together, and so on. To everyone surrounding them and to Seline, Tatia was simply trying to sustain a better bond with her younger sibling. Unfortunately, ulterior motives were behind her sudden interest in Seline’s companionship.

A month’s worth of daily cycles went by; the mourning of Henrik was lighter but continuously visible. Mere hours after naively consuming berries given to her by Tatia, Seline collapsed inside her home, mysteriously falling ill; unbeknownst to her, she’d eaten deadly nightshade berries but not an amount that would’ve eventually killed her. Such a poisonous plant was not found near the village, so a secret faraway trip must have been had; unfortunately, no one was aware. Only Tatia and the caretakers of Seline knew of what caused her sudden illness; deadly nightshade was not yet commonly known.

The family of Mikael quickly learnt of the illness that befalled Seline; their reactions varied. Elijah was concerned and found himself comforting Tatia who was supposedly very distraught over the situation, Finn and Mikael were uncaring, Rebekah was upset and horrified, Kol and Esther were determined to prevent her life from being lost like Henrik, and Niklaus was absolutely frantic. Only Rebekah, Kol, Esther, and Niklaus moved into the hut where Seline lived, in hopes that she would recover through remedies; unfortunately, the caretakers of the girl found ways to add deadly nightshade into such, rendering them more harmful than helpful. As great a witch she was, Esther was unable to recognize the tampering; even the mighty had weakness in strengths.

As the poison continuously affected Seline’s nervous system, further paralyzing the nerve endings in the involuntary muscles of her body, Kol promised that he’d find a way to heal her. Her final words to him, and in general, were “I trust you.” For the remainder of the daily cycle, Kol and Esther worked on making remedies that could save her but nothing could undo the damage at that point; she was dying. Ultimately, Niklaus was the one to suggest using the Chrysanthemums in the field that Seline always went to, considering they had healing qualities; however, her precious blooms only gave her slight ease.

Seline passed away during nightfall, shortly after fainting from fever; her dearest ones, their mother, Tatia, and her caretakers were the only ones present inside the hut. With reluctance, Esther announced the girl’s passing; she failed her children. Tatia burst into false tears of heartbreak, dramatically dropping to her knees as she reached for her sister, shaking her in hopes she’d wake; Elijah was ushered inside to comfort her. Kol and Rebekah released genuine sorrow for Seline’s death; they loved her so. Niklaus couldn’t handle it; he stormed out, angry that her demise couldn’t be prevented. It was a sad night for the ones that truly loved and adored young Seline.

As with Henrik, there were various forms of mourning for those that genuinely cared about Seline’s passing but unlike the boy, there were few that simply were uncaring. Mikael could care less than he already did about her dying; he thought the girl was a nuisance. Finn was surprisingly in mourning, if only for the loss of innocence; Elijah was the same way, though he additionally mourned for Tatia’s sake, who, unbeknownst to everyone, was faking her sorrow. Esther was dismayed by her failure to prevent the occurrence; three of her children were emotionally suffering because of it.

Whenever thinking of a specific matter or seeing a certain object, Rebekah would burst into tears; they reminded her of Seline. If someone mentioned the girl’s name, Rebekah would run from the scene in an effort to avoid speaking of her, only for her sorrows to resurface; her dearest friend was gone. The conversations about life, love, and family with Seline; they were gone. For months, she would look at the darkened sky and ask Henrik to guide Seline safely towards the afterlife; even in death, the young girl had someone worrying over her. Rebekah missed her lots; that never changed.

Kol mourned heavily for days, feeling absolutely guilty. He was aggressive towards anyone who thought he wasn’t to blame; he nearly hit Elijah but their mother stopped him and he yelled at Rebekah when she mentioned, on multiple occasions, that he wasn’t at fault. “I promised her I’d save her! She trusted me and I let her down!” was what he told his sister as he sobbed uncontrollably. He was even aggressive towards Niklaus but only because his brother was hiding his sorrow, not that Kol was aware of it; many arguments broke out between them, creating some resentment within the younger sibling; how could Niklaus not care? His little one was gone and she was never coming back. He continued wallowing in guilt and self-pity until a violet Chrysanthemum bloomed right by their home; he saw it as a message from Seline, considering the color meant wishes of health and being well; his little one was watching over them.

Although he showed no sorrow when amongst his family, Niklaus mourned heavily over the loss of Seline, and even bewailed the fact that it caused him to mourn over Henrik again. He was extremely upset to have lost his only friend shortly after losing his youngest brother. Seline was someone who seemed to understand him far more than his own family, who comforted him when he was in need, and who never ceased to amaze him. He was the one to make certain that she was buried in the field of Chrysanthemums she adored so much; Rebekah and Kol were too deep in their own mourning to suggest it themselves. He was the one to bury her.

The center of the clearing was vacant of blooms; Seline was buried there, yellow Chrysanthemums lying on the dirt that once grew them. Niklaus sat alone at the edge of her grave, something he always did since he placed her there. For days, he would only quietly sob as he stared at the dirt; for days, he pretended she meant nothing when faced before his family. He refused to mourn in front of someone else; he refused to share his own sorrows.

Mere days before his life, and that of his family, would forever change again, Niklaus finally found the strength to speak his mind, whether Seline heard him or not when he said it. He sat by her grave again, staring into the distance. His face was vacant of expression, though tears flowed down his cheeks. “You told me that unfortunate circumstances occur to make way for something far greater. That it was unfair but certain.” Pausing, he aggressively gestured at her final resting place before glancing towards the sky. “What greatness could befall us after losing you so shortly after Henrik? What good can result from this sadness?”

Shaking his head, Niklaus rested his arms on his knees, gaze returning to the grave. “You were wrong,” he firmly stated, appearing angrier than before. “I wish you weren’t.” She deserved to be alive. Henrik deserved to be alive. With them both gone, a lot of his happiness became non-existent. They meant so much to him. Seline had been his world. She had been their precious little one. He refused to believe that something great would come from their deaths.

Sniffling, Niklaus let his tears stain his face. “I miss you,“ he whispered. He laid his head against his arms. “I will always miss you.”

* * *

Days later, Esther converted her family into the first vampires, using her modified immortality spell. Within it as a powerful binding agent was a small portion of Tatia’s blood, which she voluntarily gave upon request; Esther additionally called on the sun for life and the ancient white oak tree for immortality. Thus, the Originals were created.

Shortly thereafter, the recently-turned Original vampires unintentionally made their first human kills, revealing an all-consuming hunger for human blood; an unforeseen side-effect. Because they were still in mourning of Seline’s recent death, and likely would be for a long time as they yet had gotten over Henrik’s demise, Kol, Rebekah, and Niklaus were a bit more violent when killing humans, thanks to their unstable emotions; whether it’d been intentional or not, messes were made in secret. However, it was likely they’d be that way regardless.

When Niklaus killed his first mundane, he immediately began shifting into a werewolf, revealing his new activated hybrid status; he was not the biological son of Mikael, instead a product of Esther’s infidelity with an alpha werewolf named Ansel. During his first transformation, he ran into the forest and accidentally slaughtered six villagers. The morning after, Tatia caught Elijah consoling him, since the deceased Seline could not, seeing the victims of his bloodlust; she ran away, horrified and disgusted, but was chased by Elijah, who unintentionally killed her when he smelt the blood of her accidentally self-induced injury, though she deserved it for secretly murdering her own sister weeks before.

Afterward, Elijah became so desperate that he brought her body to his mother, seeking help. Esther felt guilty for his pain, so she magically altered his memories; she didn’t want him to suffer for what he’d done. It created a door within his mind, a place where he would store every memory of his violent actions. As a result of the memory altercation, he mistook his mother for Tatia’s killer, which Esther encouraged in order to keep the truth hidden. Not long thereafter, Esther cast a curse on Niklaus, using the remaining doppelganger blood left in Tatia’s dead body; it bound his werewolf heritage and essentially made the majority of his powers from that side dormant. Unfortunately, sometime after Mikael slaughtered half of the village in an intense rage which began a war between the two species, Niklaus strangled his mother to death and blamed his non-biological father for the act.

Together, Niklaus, Elijah, and Rebekah fled the family home to escape their father and swore an oath to stay together, always and forever; a phrase that would bind them together as siblings for eternity. Soon afterward, they left the village and returned to the Old World, where they reunited with their brothers, Kol and Finn. Fortunately for Niklaus, Rebekah, and Kol, they never got to witness Mikael destroying the Chrysanthemum field that meant a lot to them as it did to Seline, whose grave was sadly disturbed by the cruel man.

Throughout the years that followed, the Mikaelson siblings discovered more about their kind, ultimately creating more as time continued. Eventually, they grew to resent one another, though Niklaus was the main source of all the bitterness; when discovering that a specific kind of dagger could place his siblings into a sleep, he often used it against them when his patience was tried, though Kol already long resented him since he believed Niklaus never cared for their dear Seline. Even when Niklaus made certain that there were always Chrysanthemums blooming at the new homes they found, Kol refused to believe that it was because of anything other than Rebekah asking.

As time flew forward, Kol, Niklaus, Rebekah, and Elijah continued to mourn their losses, never forgetting and always missing them. Rebekah missed her strange friend and adoring little brother; she began wearing yellow Chrysanthemums in her hair as remembrance, never explaining why to any outsiders who asked; they wouldn’t understand. Kol and Niklaus missed their innocent little ones; Kol missed Seline’s admiration of him and how playful she could be around Henrik who’d always express laughter, and Niklaus missed her kindness, comfort, and purity, missing Henrik’s smile. Elijah missed his beloved Tatia and darling brother; he missed how caring she’d been and how patient Henrik was; he felt guilty for never knowing Seline better, surprisingly missing their brief conversations of wisdom. They never fully got over their losses but learnt to cope with the pain, eventually learning to hide their sorrow from outsiders, though Niklaus was ahead of them on that front.

Little did they know, their precious little one, Seline, would be reborn in 1473 on the fifth of June within Bulgaria alongside Tatia’s doppelganger, fathered by a land-owning Traveler and mothered by a human...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warnings: Potential Incorrect Knowledge, Potential Incorrect Phrasing, Slight Non-Canon Information of Nightshade Plant, Wikia of the Series Was Used


	2. Amelia Beatrix Petrova; 1490

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which a Petrova twin gives birth...

**♬ Monster - Paramore ♬**

* * *

The wailing cries of a young woman in labor filled the air inside a home in Bulgaria. In only a simple white gown, with her legs widely parted, the beautiful Katerina Petrova continuously cried out in discomfort; the pains grew more intense with each passing moment. With her hand resting on her round abdomen whilst the other gripped tightly onto the sheets of the bed, she struggled to relax. Sweat dripped from her forehead as she slowly grew more and more exhausted from pushing, her wealthy curly brown hair sticking lightly to her damp cheeks. By her legs, her caring mother was attempting to sooth her as she encouraged the young woman to continue.

“ _ A little more, dearest... Only a little more _ ,” her mother instructed in their native tongue, glancing between her daughter’s face and what laid amongst her legs. “ _ Push... _ ”

Standing behind the mother, towards the corner of the room, Katerina’s younger sister, Jenefer, watched the event with fright; she was quite some years behind her in age, making the moment slightly scarring; if having children meant experiencing that sort of pain, she wanted nothing to do with it.

By the open doorway, standing with a menacing aura, was their father. His expression grim and his arms crossed, he watched the birthing of his grandchild with a mixture of displeasure and disinterest. The outcome was not a gratifying sight; there would never come a day where he’d be delighted by his daughters having children out of wedlock; it was absolutely shameful, a disgrace to the Petrova name. He’d only be pleased when the baby was gone alongside its mother, but he wouldn’t give them the luxury of leaving together.

There was one final family member within the room during such a grand moment of life; Katerina’s twin sister, Amelia Beatrix Petrova. She shared many similarities with her, from their oval-shaped face with fine bone structure to their shared almond-shaped, deep-brown eyes. The only clear differences between them were as such; Amelia’s hair was straighter and lighter while her eyes were a slightly darker shade, not to mention she was paler. Generally, they weren’t entirely identical to one another.

Amelia was hardly sitting on the bed’s left side, body turned towards Katerina. She was gently resting a hand on her twin’s shoulder, whispering words of encouragement. “ _ Sister, you are doing well. You are nearly there, darling. You must push only a little more, a little further, and it shall be over, the pain shall be gone. _ ” She glanced towards their mother, appearing confident but feeling concerned; she was aware of their father’s plan, worried that her sister would not be allowed to hold her newborn.

“ _ A little more, push! _ ” their mother instructed further. Katerina’s wails yet ceased as she gave three more pushes; on the final one, cries of her newly born infant filled the room, her own wailing dying down. Amelia released a sob, a happy little squeal escaping her slightly parted lips; tears welled up in her eyes as she smiled; she was an aunt. She looked at her panting twin and leaned forward, placing her lips against her sweaty forehead. The tiniest of smiles appeared on Katerina’s face; she placed her hand on one of Amelia’s arms, rubbing it slightly as she fought back tears of her happiness. The Petrova twins looked towards their mother, waiting for the gender to be revealed. “ _ It’s a girl. _ ”

The sisters stared as their mother raised the newborn female high enough from them to see, smiling. The infant continued crying, covered not only in a small white blanket but in red goo-like substance. Amelia’s smile remained but Katerina’s faded, disbelief replacing her happiness. She gave birth to a daughter; it was almost surreal. “ _ A girl _ ,” Katerina panted. Her mother nodded, confirming the gender a second time. “ _ Please, Mother _ ...” She reached out, ready to take her child. “... _ Let me see her. _ ”

The woman made an effort to hand Katerina her newborn, only to freeze in her movements; the sudden booming voice of her husband made them all jump. “ _ Woman, don’t! _ ” The twins and their mother glanced towards the approaching man. That was when Amelia’s smile fell flat. “ _ What are you doing? _ ” He already told the woman that the child was to be taken away immediately, with no hesitation or brief goodbyes. Their reputation was already at sake as it was.

Dishearteningly, the twins watched as their mother stood with the child; she handed the baby to their cruel father obediently. Amelia shook her head in dismay; how dare he disallow Katerina to hold her child. Lips quivering, Katerina turned towards their father, remaining in the bed. “ _ Let me, at least, hold her once... Just once... At least once _ ,” she begged. He couldn’t be that cruel... Surely he could see past her mistake and allow her the one request...

” _ Forget it! You have disgraced this family! _ ” He made a move to turn, ready to walk out of that house with the baby; he was going to make sure they never saw her again. However, Amelia stood and stepped directly in his path, prepared to attempt pleading with him. “ _ Get out of the way, girl! _ ” he yelled. He was already displeased by the entire situation, but it grew more intense with him knowing that Amelia was still supporting Katerina. The cries of the infant continued filling the air, spiking to higher levels whenever the man got loud with his family.

Amelia stood her ground, glaring. Her hands were clutching onto her beige dress tightly; her anger was clear, not only from her expression but her physical behavior. “ _ How can you be so heartless? Allow her to hold her child for a moment. A moment is all she wants. Can you, at least, give her that? _ ” Although her words were angry, her tone was calm; she did not wish to raise her voice. She would not stoop to the man’s level of aggression; she was above that. She would remain civilized.

He glared at her, absolutely furious. If the child were not in his grasp, he would strike her with his palm. No daughter of his was allowed to speak towards him in that manner. “ _ No! She has shamed this family, as have you for your support of her! I want you gone with the likes of her by tomorrow evening or there will be hell to pay! _ ” He stepped around her and exited the room, taking the child with him. He cared not for either of them anymore; they were a disgrace, failures to their lineage. They were no daughters of his; Jenefer was his only child.

” _ Father, please! _ ” Katerina exclaimed, gripping the sheets tightly again. Tears poured down her cheeks once more as she was forced to watch him leave with her only child. “ _ No, Father, please! No! _ ” She needed to hold her, just once; that was all she wanted. “ _ Please, Father! _ ”

Instantaneously, Amelia rushed to her twin’s side, trying to hush her cries. Their mother followed suit, feeling guilty for what happened as she had no power over her husband’s authority; what he said was what they would do. Jenefer stood awkwardly in the corner, uncertain what to do. No amount of comfort could sooth Katerina’s sorrow of losing her only child.

Amelia wrapped her arms around Katerina, pulling her close. She began crying with her, from sorrow and guilt; they would never see the girl again and she’d been unable to prevent it. She listened to their mother’s statements and silently disagreed; it wasn’t better for the child to leave her mother. Katerina and herself would be leaving the home themselves the following day, so she didn’t see why it mattered if the child stayed or not when she would’ve left with them, until she really thought about it; their father likely sent the child away out of spite, wrongfully separating them because he believed Katerina needed to be punished for the wedlock incident.

Sobbing, Amelia held Katerina tighter. “ _ I tried, sister. I tried. I’m sorry. I tried to stop him. I tried to get her in your arms. He had no right to do this. I’m so sorry, darling _ .” Every fiber of her being was telling her to regather her courage and go after their father; her instincts were demanding that she take the child from him and run before reuniting with Katerina somehow. However, she felt that attempting such could only cause harm to the newborn; it would cause harm to herself most definitely if their father caught her during the attempt but she didn’t care about that; only the baby’s safety mattered. Therefore, she sadly accepted the horrible reality.

” _ Sister, please! I must hold her! _ ” Katerina desperately tried to get out of Amelia’s grip, wishing to run after their father herself, just as Amelia had wished, but her twin refused to release her, knowing no good could come out of it. “ _ Please! Please... _ ” Her struggles slowly died down. She wrapped her arms around Amelia, crying into her shoulder as she was forced to accept the harsh reality, too...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warnings: Potential Incorrect Knowledge, Potential Incorrect Phrasing, Wikia of the Series Was Used, Italics for Different Language


	3. Fated to Meet; 1490-March 1492

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which the Petrova twins meet Elijah and Niklaus Mikaelson.

**♬ Fire Meets Fate - Ruelle ♬**

* * *

Shortly after the night in which Katerina lost her newborn daughter, the grieving mother and her younger twin were cast away from their village, banished for the shame they’d brought upon the family. Despite the horrid betrayal of their relatives amidst a simple error in judgement, the Petrova twins still loved them; though there was resentment towards their father, and their mother and younger sister were not at fault as it was expected of them to follow the man’s authority, they were family.

The road ahead of the Petrova twins wasn’t an easy route, but it was well worth the effort. As long as they were together throughout the rough times, they could get by anything.

During the first two years of their banishment, Amelia and Katerina endured the harsh reality of their situation for approximately several weeks before luck found them; they traveled to England, where they lived on the streets as they quickly assimilated into the culture, and eventually were taken in by a family who took pity on them. Shortly thereafter, the twins slowly became popular amongst the crowd, which ultimately led to them meeting a young man named Trevor, who was more than what he seemed. Neither sister knew that their lives would be changing forever...

A brief period of time passed. The twins quickly came to know Trevor well; he was kind, appeared loyal, had quickly developed an unhealthy infatuation with Katerina but she didn’t mind, and had created a purely platonic bond with Amelia, who appreciated his friendship. It wasn’t long before the man invited them to a gathering that would occur the following afternoon; it was for a special occasion, though he wouldn’t say what sort.

The next day arrived. Inside the home they came to know, Amelia and Katerina were alone; the family of the household were out and about, living their own lives as one would expect. Standing before a mirror, Katerina admired herself; she wore a long-sleeved maroon dress with silver jewelry and her flowing hair was styled in a braided ponytail, her curls hanging across her shoulder. Somewhere behind her, Amelia watched with a neutral expression, dressed in simple garments.

Katerina was eager to attend the event; she longed to socialize with new individuals, especially those that could be considered royalty. Amelia, on the other hand, was less enthusiastic; she preferred less formal gatherings where she could speak freely without major consequence; those of higher authority tended to be quite illiberal, like their father. “Must I attend? If we were to inform Trevor of my disinterest, I am certain he would understand.” Amelia paused momentarily, configuring her words in a way that wouldn’t appear impolite; she didn’t want to offend. “Ceremonious etiquette is not my strong suit; my livelihood consists of being permissive. I do not belong in that crowd.”

With a pout, Katerina faced her. “Sister, you must. We were cordially invited; it would be rather impolite of you to decline the offer on the day of the event, which is occurring in mere hours.” Amelia’s expression became guilty; it would be unmannerly. Katerina approached her with a sudden teasing smile, confusing her. “Perhaps you’ll find yourself a handsome fellow...or have you already set eyes upon Trevor? I know he has his own upon me, but I believe I can sway him into looking in your direction.” Reaching for Amelia’s hands, she held them gently. She continued smiling, less so in a teasing manner. “You must come. If not for the men, then for me and your friendship with Trevor.”

Amelia continued frowning. “Katerina, darling, my preferences do not lie with men; you are aware of this.” Glancing around, she bit her lip; luckily, no one was home yet. “What if they’d been home and heard you? I would have to lie about my sexual orientation, give a false appearance that is more acceptable to the public or else we would be homeless again. Or rather, I would be or much worse; you enjoy men.” She sighed. “It already bothers me enough that I cannot be honest with myself when amongst the people; I have to hide that side and hope intimacy is never mentioned. It is frustrating.” She grimaced. “I am so sorry; I hadn’t meant to rant.”

Katerina was frowning, too. She shook her head shortly. “Don’t apologize for speaking of your frustrations; some matters need to be released from within.” She briefly paused, squeezing her sister’s hands. “I know it bothers you, constantly hiding a part of yourself, but there is nothing we can do; as you briefly mentioned, you could be homeless or worse if someone inflexible learns of your preference.” Sighing, she released Amelia’s hands, forcing a smile. “You got so caught up in ranting, you never gave an answer,” she stated, trying to revert the conversation back to the original topic. “Will you be coming along to the gathering?”

Reluctantly, Amelia nodded. “I would hate to disappoint; Trevor seemed so eager about us attending.” Instantly, another expression of guilt surfaced. She glanced elsewhere. “As you said, it would be impolite to decline so belatedly...” She’d acted selfish before, she thought; she didn’t like that. She wished she never brought it up; she should’ve thought about how he’d feel instead of worrying about her own feelings; she should’ve continued keeping it to herself. She hugged herself in comfort, trying to push away the guilt; she couldn’t.

Katerina grinned. She strolled towards the nearby bedding, gesturing to the clothing laying atop it. Hesitantly, Amelia approached and gazed at the lovely hooded garment; it was completely dark sapphire with pale turquoise floral designs. “You’ll be the most beautiful being there,” Katerina complimented, gently gathering the dress into her arms. Amelia glanced at her; she was still grinning, holding out the dress to her.

Amelia couldn’t contain a smile, which had threatened to cross her guilt-ridden expression for some time; Katerina’s delight and continuous happiness about the event was becoming contagious. “On the contrary, darling, it is you who will be the most admirable tonight; you’ll gain the eyes of many more suitors.” Katerina’s grin grew wider. Finally, Amelia took the dress from her sister and proceeded to get clothed in private, her previous emotions of guilt becoming lost...

* * *

The formal festivity was held inside a magnificent mansion, owned by the hosts of the gathering; they were noblemen, so the Petrova twins were told. Amelia and Katerina arrived in the company of Trevor, who chose to personally escort them. He introduced them to many attendees, all of which were on various levels of nobility in contrast to the twins’ lower class stature. As Amelia expected, the folks were intolerant to those who thought differently, thus she often pretended to be in agreement, more so than Katerina.

For the first half, the twins remained beside one another as they socialized. Although both were quite outgoing, Amelia continuously felt uncomfortable around the judgmental people but endured for her sister’s and friend’s sake. They mainly socialized with Trevor, finding little common interest with everyone else, though they continued politely chatting with them anyway; they didn’t want to offend.

As the second half came to occur, Amelia was coincidentally whisked away by a random woman. Supposedly, the lady wanted her to meet someone, perhaps her husband, because she’d taken a liking to Amelia but the aforementioned female hadn’t spoken to the lady beforehand, rendering her confused by the lady’s strange and sudden determination.

Following such an occurrence, Trevor excused himself from his conversation with Katerina. He approached Elijah Mikaelson, one of the hosts and his associate; the man hadn’t aged a day since his family became the Original vampires, looking no different but only those like himself were aware of the fact. After a brief conversation, Trevor led Elijah to Katerina, who found him to be captivating; in return, he was rather taken by her startling resemblance to Tatia; quickly, he recognized her as a doppelganger. Polite introductions were made and the two wandered away from Trevor, who quickly searched for Amelia.

Trevor found Amelia standing uncomfortably by the woman he compelled. He hadn’t wanted the young woman in the sight of either Mikaelson, though the other yet revealed himself amongst the crowd; she was innocent and didn’t need to be brought into a situation where she didn’t belong. Amelia was relieved when he approached her; she’d been standing in awkward silence for too long as she listened to the lady ramble about petty matters. Although she was confused as to why he led her towards a quieter corner of the gathering where they were partially hidden, she appreciated it.

Across the room, Katerina and Elijah made small talk, briefly learning about one another before the second host of the celebration finally made his appearance; Niklaus Mikaelson, Elijah’s half-brother. He, too, looked no different than when he was human, though his long hair was swept back, not that any human would’ve known. Dressed like a nobleman, as was Elijah, he walked with confidence, giving off a vibe of higher authority; although there was truth to the statement, he and his brother were not truly of nobility. When his eyes finally landed upon Katerina, the smile on his face faded into brief blankness as he was caught off guard; she looked much like their Tatia. Quickly, he recovered as he approached them, a smirk replacing his previous smile, eyes never leaving hers as they spoke pleasantly amongst themselves.

A moment before Niklaus could whisk away Katerina, Amelia walked back into the crowd and unintentionally caught his gaze; despite Trevor's best efforts of keeping her concealed, her existence was made known because she wanted to search for her sister. Upon setting his sights on Amelia, Niklaus froze and his smirk vanished; it couldn't be... Noting his brother's behavior, Elijah gazed in the same direction, only to find himself almost as equally flabbergasted. For a brief moment, they believed their father had found them; perhaps he brought along a witch who enchanted someone into appearing as Tatia's sister so he could kill them during the distraction. However, the theory was disproved when Katerina, mistaking their surprise as something else, briefly glanced towards Amelia before sheepishly explaining that she had a twin; she was unable to catch Niklaus' faint whisper of the name Seline and failed to notice that his eyes were beginning to water, though the tears remained unshed.

Unaware she was being gazed upon, Amelia noticed her sister and approached. Elijah composed himself, no longer appearing surprised though he still felt it, and Niklaus blinked back the tears that threatened to reveal his weakness, relaxing himself despite not wanting to. Neither brother had an explanation for her existence; it wasn’t likely that she was a doppelganger because they would’ve otherwise known beforehand of her potential appearance.

Katerina glanced towards her sister again, grinning upon realizing she was approaching. “There you are. I wondered where you vanished to,” Amelia stated when she reached them. Noticing Niklaus and Elijah gazing at her, she flushed in embarrassment; she hadn’t noticed them until then. “My deepest apologies. I was unaware my sister was keeping you gentlemen company; if I’d known, I would not have rudely interrupted.”

Niklaus and Elijah prevented themselves from becoming visibly astonished again; like Seline, the young woman standing before them was very well-mannered and soft-spoken. With her closer in range, they could see that she was slightly different in appearance than the girl they once knew; she was leaner and grown. Seeing such differences saddened Niklaus; Seline never reached such age. “No harm done,” Elijah politely responded.

Amelia couldn’t contain her smile, even if she wanted to; his politeness didn’t seem like a facade, which was rather refreshing after facing so many insincere attendees. She felt Katerina linking their arms; her smile grew as she became more comfortable and lively. “I certainly hope Katerina gave warning before I appeared, though I would not put it past her to hide information; she can be quite mischievous.” Her playful comment briefly amused Niklaus and greatly annoyed Katerina, who pulled on her arm roughly. Amelia released an innocent giggle, glancing at her sister. “Sorry, darling; I couldn’t resist.” She gazed back towards the brothers, smiling continuously. “I am Amelia. It is an honor and pleasure to meet you, gentlemen.”

Shortly after Niklaus and Elijah introduced themselves to Amelia, a brief conversation ensued amongst the four; they spoke of very little matters, such as interests and dislikes. However, Niklaus quickly realized that he was becoming too distracted with Amelia; he had a doppelganger to manipulate. With little hesitation, he whisked away Katerina.

Amelia and Elijah continued conversing, even after their respective siblings left; their conversation stayed pleasant, never dulling. Throughout the talk, Elijah found himself feeling very guilty; it reminded him of his conversations with Seline, only those were much briefer. By the time their chat ended, he decided he wouldn’t make the same mistake again; he would befriend Amelia like he should’ve done with Seline.

When the time came for the attendees to make their exit, Amelia and Katerina reunited. However, before they could leave, they were invited to reside in the mansion, alongside Niklaus, Elijah, their absent sister Rebekah, and those that served them. The Petrova twins accepted but for separate reasons; Katerina wanted to be courted by one of the two supposed lords and Amelia didn’t want to be impolite towards her newest friends, nor did she wish to leave her sister’s side. Unbeknownst to them, Katerina was crucial to Niklaus’ plans of breaking his curse...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warnings: Potential Incorrect Knowledge, Potential Incorrect Phrasing, Wikia of the Series Was Used, Lesser Known Characters Are Left Without Physical Description Again (It Likely Shall Remain This Way Throughout but Thankfully, You've All Seen the Series), Amelia is seen more as Seline than her own person by Niklaus and Elijah (this will change)


	4. Hope; March-April 1492

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which bonding occurs...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Whenever there is an update that comes very slowly, it can be one of two things; either we're taking our time so that we can make everything well-paced and realistic as possible or one of us has an internet connection failure, keeping us from communicating properly. Sometimes, it's both. Bonus reasoning would be that one or both of us tragically died; let's hope that one doesn't ever happen until we've reached a proper age (like 70).

**♬ La Belle et la Bête - Peppina ♬**

* * *

During her first week in the mansion, Katerina quickly became associated with almost everyone residing inside; Rebekah made certain that she never crossed paths with her or she’d kill her for simply looking like Tatia. However, she spent very little time with the help; Niklaus, Elijah, Trevor, and Amelia were the only ones she’d willingly and properly converse with. Only mere hours into living there, she became romantically involved with Niklaus, though the man tended to avoid her like the plague every other day; he didn’t need nor want any form of positive feeling for the doppelganger. Elijah, on the other hand, was quickly falling head over heels for her as she was for him, though he denied it; he believed he could never love again after Tatia’s passing.

For Amelia, life within their new residence those first seven days was splendid. Everyone residing inside were pleasant to be around, so she often made certain to spend some time with them; she didn’t want to leave anyone out, especially since they seemed so genuinely kind. When she didn’t find herself conversing with someone or assisting with something, she’d spend her time in the study, gazing through the many novels. During one of the days she found herself back in there, a book of herbs and flowers caught her eye, ultimately leading to her growing a quick admiration for and connection with Chrysanthemums; they held healing remedies, whereas she enjoyed giving comfort to those who needed it.

As her week continued, Amelia grew closer in friendship with Trevor, who often returned to the mansion to see her and Katerina, although his time with her twin was usually rather short; she believed it to be because she was courting Niklaus. However, the aforementioned man, though he avoided saying more than a few words to her, spent a lot more time around her than he did Katerina; unbeknownst to her, it was because she was the closest he could get to seeing his precious little one again. She found his behavior odd but quite endearing; his company was always appreciated, regardless if they conversed or not. With Elijah, their conversations continued to remain pleasant and seemed to strengthen the bond of friendship forming between them; although Elijah was only seeing her as Seline’s replacement, he was growing exceptionally fond of her. As for Rebekah, Amelia never actually got a chance to interact with her, though she tried her hardest; she’d only managed to catch a glimpse or two of the young woman before she’d vanish with tears in her eyes, which quite bothered Amelia; she hoped their sister was alright.

When the week came to a close, the three Mikaelsons were told some valuable information, which seemed to raise the spirits of Niklaus and Rebekah; there was talk of reincarnation, where a soul could be reborn into a new life. Perhaps their precious little one had truly returned; time would tell...

* * *

During her second week inside the magnificent mansion, Katerina continued associating with Niklaus, Elijah, Trevor, and Amelia; they remained the only few people she found interest within and who kept her boredom to a minimum. Throughout her days there, as with the previous week, she wandered the grounds but found nothing to do, which made her appreciate Elijah’s companionship further as he would often appear from nowhere to be by her side; it disappointed her that Amelia would not do this, as she was more occupied with pleasing everyone and not just a simple few, which made Katerina wish her sister’s heart was not so large. Although her feelings for Elijah were growing stronger with each passing day, Katerina still found displeasure in Niklaus’ near constant absence; it didn’t sit quite so well with her that he enjoyed hanging around Amelia more. She’d find a way to change that.

For Amelia, her time within the residence remained a wonderful experience; she was enjoying every second. She continued to appreciate the presence of the folks residing there with her, though she constantly failed to gain an audience with Rebekah, who consistently ran whenever she’d spot her. Of all she’d befriended, she was closest with Trevor, who’d she known longer; however, that shifted during the middle of the week when Elijah began spending a lot of time with her in the study, where he’d suggest novels in which they would discuss upon finishing them. Nonetheless, she still thought highly of Trevor and the others; although she was becoming closer to Elijah, her friendships with everyone else remained quite significant to her.

Her friendship with Niklaus remained as it was from the beginning; brief conversations and a looming presence. However, she noticed at the start of the new week that his eyes gained a sparkle of hope, though she knew nothing of why. Additionally, towards the end of the week, her sister began inserting herself into their space whenever she saw them, which was another matter where Amelia didn’t understand the meaning; she found it most peculiar when Niklaus would stiffen underneath Katerina’s affectionate gestures and often saw to it that her sister stop by distracting her with something of little importance, unaware of Niklaus’ appreciation. She hoped Katerina would someday notice the man’s discomfort towards public displays of affection; boundaries needed to be respected in a courtship.

On the final day of the week, it took Amelia by surprise when Niklaus suddenly requested to spend an afternoon with her, alone. Regardless of the unforeseen demand, she accepted; perhaps their friendship would finally strengthen. Together, at noon, they walked across the courtyard in silence, just enjoying one another's presence; the weather was fine and the scenery was ideal for their bonding session.

As they strolled along the path of greenery, Amelia’s fingers absentmindedly brushed against her purely white gown, the see-through laced sleeves sliding against her torso gently and gracefully. She’d been told that the dress previously belonged to his sister and would’ve been worn by her at her wedding if matters had turned out differently. Amelia initially refused to wear it after hearing of such sadness but Niklaus assured her that Rebekah wished for her to have it, which took her by surprise since the woman never spoke a word to her. Nonetheless, she ultimately accepted the gift and asked of Niklaus to give his sister her best, which he did out of respect. Thus, Amelia wore the dress for her afternoon with Niklaus, as a show of appreciation for such loveliness.

Their silence continued; no words were needed to connect on a spiritual level, positive vibes being all they truly needed; however, they’d likely make conversation eventually as it was a natural occurrence between people, regardless of its length. After a short time, Niklaus quietly led her towards the outskirts of the courtyard, where their findings proved to be quite marvelous. Hidden from plain sight, beyond a tall hedge, a small field of Chrysanthemums bloomed; the colors ranged only between yellow and violet, which meant sorrow and-or neglected love and wishes of one’s health to be well.

Unaware Niklaus was watching every movement and reaction she made, Amelia stared in awe at the beauties; she briefly wondered the significance behind why those flowers in particular were blooming instead of others before recognizing the meaning behind the two colors; the family had her deepest sympathies. With delicacy, she approached the Chrysanthemums but didn’t enter the field, out of fear she’d damage them. Instead, she crouched at the edge, awe never leaving her expression; they truly were magnificent flowers.

Gently, she reached forward, lightly grazing one of the violet flowers with her finger; as expected, the petals felt smooth and soft against her skin. She smiled, keeping her gaze on the Chrysanthemums. “They’re very beautiful,” she softly commented. “A shame, really, that they have to be here, hidden from everyone’s eyes. Perhaps it’s for the best; not all will appreciate their qualities and existence, merely seeing them only as simple decoration.”

There was another moment of silence. Amelia quietly continued admiring the ever-so-lovely Chrysanthemums, at peace with herself, never expecting a response from her friend; he didn’t need nor have to since his presence was enough. Niklaus, on the other hand, was having an inner struggle; quite desperately, he wanted to converse with her about his emotions, just as he once did with Seline, but his heart was guarded, remaining so since his little one’s demise. Although he felt some hope towards the possibility of Seline returning through Amelia, he did not wish to release his hidden self, out of fear for matters ending as terribly as they did some centuries ago; he refused to be hurt again.

Niklaus shifted uncomfortably behind her, gazing intensely at her back. “...They’re extravagant,” he stated, beginning a brief explanation. “I thought best to keep them from the prying eyes of those who would seek to ruin their beauty.” Frowning, he stared past Amelia’s back, gazing at the Chrysanthemums instead. His mind entered another reality, the past; centuries before, just a month after he fled his home with his siblings, he briefly returned only to find Seline’s entire grave-site demolished. “...Envy is an ugly emotion; I have seen it firsthand...and I have seen its aftermath...”

Amelia frowned at his words, sensing a deeper meaning than what was openly expressed. “I can hear the pain in your tone…” she whispered, sorrowful. She couldn’t see it but Niklaus’ eyes widened at her perceptiveness. “As subtle as you believed it to be, I could hear it…” Slowly, she stood, gently and absentmindedly brushing her dress. She turned to him, gaze soft and sympathetic. “Your sister is not the only one in sorrows, is she…? You have lost something precious, too…”

Niklaus avoided her gaze and verbally ignored her words, though they raced within his mind; she’d been quick to notice his inner pain, despite his efforts to hide it. However, he wasn’t ready to share his emotions with her yet, if ever. “Chrysanthemums are the only bloom which have meaning to me; all others, as you briefly mentioned in another manner, are simple decorations. I will speak nothing more of this matter.”

Respecting his wishes, Amelia didn’t allow the subject matter to continue; it was clear that it was too painful and too private for her to know, which she could understand, seeing as they hardly knew one another to be having such heart-to-hearts. Simply, she gave him a short nod before approaching. Linking her arm with his, she led him away from the small field, returning to the courtyard; Niklaus didn’t need any more of his sorrows resurfacing, especially if he didn’t wish for her to see them.

As a means of returning his mood to a more positive outlook, she told him tales of the childhood she and Katerina endured; she spoke mostly of Jenefer, her twin, their mother, and herself, barely mentioning her cruel father as he wasn’t worth the effort. Niklaus noticed such behavior but withheld commentary about the lack of stories featuring the man; he could understand why it was likely a touchy subject for her, being that it was such for him towards the man he once believed was his biological father, and thought it best that he never know what hers did to cause such resentment since he’d likely find and brutally murder the man.

Throughout Amelia’s storytelling, he remained silent, taking in her every word; as simple as her life was before they met, he found it to be enticing, only for the information he gained about her. However, the last few, which consisted of her being mischievous towards her sisters and boys within her home village, provoked a reaction; he erupted into laughter. Amelia laughed alongside him.

Remaining within the courtyard, they continued conversing, never growing silent again. A mixture of matters were spoken of, all positive; from simple to important, though things never got too personal, and from new conversation holders to repeats of previous ones long passed, their time together strengthened the bonds of friendship between them, though not by very much; it was far too soon into their befriendment for them to be close.

Some hours later, with the afternoon fading into nightfall, they went their separate ways, returning to how things were beforehand, though the newfound bond remained. Content with only having his presence again, Amelia continued with her ways of living; she conversed with those she could and helped whenever possible, with Niklaus almost always lingering in the background. However, two nights following their time together in the courtyard, everything changed...

Amelia wandered the mansion grounds after dark, unable to enter a dreaming state. Not alone in her late night roaming, she came across several servants, which she’d long befriended; they were not yet finished with their tasks. Denied the chance to aid them despite her persistence, she continued on her journey for relaxation. Anything would do; she simply needed a distraction from the approaching morning, in which they would be receiving a guest, someone with posh nearly as equal to that of the family she lived amongst but whose closed-minded ways would likely clash with her opposing views.

Deep in thought about the morning to come, she stepped outdoors; perhaps the coolness of the breeze would give her peace of mind. Unfortunately, her midnight stroll outside was brief; she came across a shocking display within the courtyard, a horrifying shift from the once pleasant scenery. Although the lantern’s light was dim, she could clearly see what lay ahead; lifeless on the ground, unintentionally positioned in a circle, were five servants, all of which she’d known and adored. In midst of her disbelief and internal mourning, she managed to catch sight of the culprit; standing nearby, with a lack of reaction to her discovering him, was Niklaus, his clothing battered and bloodied.

Neither moving or speaking, they stared at one another.

Eyes remaining wide, Amelia struggled through her emotions, unable to keep them hidden; none were of resentment, hatred, or fear, instead consisting only of sorrow, worry, curiosity, and disbelief. Her grief was for the loss of innocence and friendship, her concern was for Niklaus’ state of mind, her interest was towards the creation of their situation, and her doubt was towards reality. Despite those slightly contradicting feelings, her posture displayed courage; regardless of witnessing the aftermath of murder, she was not afraid of Niklaus potentially harming or slaughtering her, only because she’d done nothing to provoke such violence and she still trusted her friend.

Niklaus didn’t bother hiding his indifference towards the situation; she would’ve learnt the truth eventually, though it was a tad frustrating that it occurred accidentally. For a moment, he considered compelling her memory away, to get the conversation he originally sought, but ultimately chose to wait; if he didn’t like her response towards the more violent reveal, he would remove the memory from her mind. By the look of matters, it was going rather well, considering she hadn’t tried running or screaming; her bravery was an unexpected surprise. She flinched when he appeared directly in front of her with great speed but remained fearless. “Why are you unafraid, little one?” he wondered, awaiting her answer.

Amelia continuously eyed him as the emotions she’d felt prior vanished, replaced with brief confusion and then complete understanding; anyone else, brave or otherwise, likely would have been terrified of becoming a potential victim. “I have no reason to be afraid,” she stated, gaze softening. She slightly smiled. “You have become a dear friend, Niklaus; I wholeheartedly trust you. Your uniqueness will not change that, regardless of anything I feel about your devastating actions.”

Briefly, Niklaus was at a loss for words; a rarity it was for a human to show continuous bravery towards him or anyone of vampirism, even after the secret was known, and it was even more uncommonly familiar for any of them to feel compassion towards their inhuman comrades without being compelled into feeling such. He’d never met a girl quite like her before, apart from Aurora and perhaps Seline if she’d lived longer. Instantly, he felt regret for thinking of either female; having them in his thoughts only brought pain and sorrow, though perhaps if the theory of reincarnation was correct, Seline would no longer be just a faded memory but a reawakening one. He frowned as the painful memories filled his mind. “How can you find me not to be monstrous...?”

Amelia frowned, hearing the pain in Niklaus’ tone; it saddened her to know that someone called him a monster, or monstrous, in a time before they met. Unable to stop herself after witnessing his brief vulnerability again, she started crying, much to his continued disbelief. “Oh, Niklaus,” she whispered, shaking her head slightly. She smiled sadly. “You are no monster; you merely are different from those like myself. Unique, as I’ve said before. There are plenty positive words for what you are, and what your family is, and the thought of anyone thinking otherwise is something I cannot bear.” She glanced at his clothing, then the corpses before gazing back at him, suddenly alarmed. “Katerina could be wandering the grounds tonight, just as I. She may see you. You must get cleaned.”

Niklaus nearly scoffed; it would merely be of minor inconvenience if Katerina stumbled across the aftermath of his destructive nature, however she’d be leaving without any memory of the incident, whereas Amelia would keep hers until he thought otherwise. Risky but it gave him further hope of his precious little one returning; perhaps she wouldn’t be exactly as she was before her passing but at least she’d have her memories.

Their conversation dying abruptly, Niklaus walked past her without another word. Unsurprisingly, she followed; not only did she wish to be certain he’d get cleaned and properly move the deceased, she wanted to make sure he was truly alright after his moment of vulnerability. However, she was unable to. When they quickly came across Elijah in the study, he took one glance at Niklaus before immediately understanding what occurred; additionally, he seemed a bit baffled by her presence. He never said anything about the matter, but shared a look with Niklaus before vanishing. Before Amelia could even think to ask if he was alright, Niklaus vanished, too, leaving her frowning...

* * *

Amelia’s late night anxieties became a reality come morning. However, everything went smoothly, for the most part.

Their guest, some noblewoman Amelia never seen before, kept her distance from the Petrova twins, though she indiscreetly eyed them with disgust whenever able, as she conversed with Lord Niklaus and Lord Elijah, both never speaking of it. Although she understood why neither openly discussed their potential displeasure of the noblewoman’s continuous action, she was a bit disappointed; not even a glance of comfort was given to the twins, though she could understand that decision, too. As the chatter between the three continued, Amelia found herself further annoyed by the noblewoman’s views, which additionally brought her great discomfort; she couldn’t wait for the swine to make her exit.

Mere minutes into brunch was when things truly became sour but it didn’t last long. Ultimately, the noblewoman’s indiscreet gazing became something more; she gave her opinion about the twins, referring to them as nothing but common filth who deserved servitude for all their lives, plus many unfortunate mishaps. Amelia was unbothered but disapproved of anyone speaking so lowly of Katerina, who was visibly disheartened by the cruel words.

Unable to stop herself, though she didn’t wish to, and unwilling to await the defense either brother would give in their honor, Amelia spoke with grace and false naivety as she stared down the noblewoman. “I believe you are mistaken, ma’am; the only form of filth I see is you.” Nonchalantly, she finally sipped her beverage and took a bite of the food provided; it was delicious.

As she quietly and elegantly munched, she glanced around the table, eyeing everyone’s reaction. The noblewoman was understandably livid, clenching her eating utensils; Trevor (who’d joined for brunch) looked astonished but amused as he coughed to hide a laugh; Niklaus looked entertained as he sipped his wine, likely smirking behind his chalice; Elijah was bewildered, as he usually was when it came to something she’d do unexpectedly; lastly, Katerina looked quite pleased with her as she hid a smile.

Relieved that she wasn’t in trouble for her words, Amelia continued speaking, eyes on the noblewoman once more. “Now then, if you have yet not noticed, Lord Niklaus and Lord Elijah no longer wish for you to remain here, though they have been far too polite to reveal it; your views are vastly different than theirs and I can only imagine what would have happened if they were not such gentlemen.” She paused briefly to sip her beverage again, assessing everyone’s reaction again; they remained the same. “I think it best you keep the remainder of your negativity to yourself and leave whilst you still have some dignity, as little as it may be.”

Shortly thereafter, the noblewoman was escorted out, never to be heard from again.

* * *

In such a short time, the month of April arrived. On its second day, there were beautiful skies and a gentle breeze; the perfect weather for wandering outside in the sunlight, though no one did so, at least not straight away. Throughout the lengthy day, events remained monotonous, nothing of major interest occurring. Amelia spent her day like any other, helping the servants that long became her friends; Katerina and Elijah were temporarily in the study, conversing amongst themselves; Trevor, for once, was not within the mansion, instead spending time with Rose, someone he considered family, in another building; Rebekah continued keeping her distance; finally, Niklaus was nowhere to be found, no longer seen near his newfound precious little one, his priorities back where they were meant to be.

Quickly, it became midday. Amelia, lost in her continued disappointment of no longer having Niklaus' presence with her, found herself trailing behind Katerina and Elijah, who were heading to the courtyard. She wasn't certain what happened to cause such a distance between them; Niklaus hadn't seemed to mind her attitude towards their last guest, though that day had been the last he ever spent time with or around her. She tried ignoring her displeasure by doing what she always did but it wasn't the same without him nearby; she supposed that being around Katerina and Elijah wouldn't make much difference in distracting her either.

However, Amelia ended up smiling a lot as she watched them, her mind temporarily at ease. Katerina tried several times to get Elijah to chase her, much to Amelia's amusement, and when she eventually succeeded, he didn't attempt to actually catch her. Nonetheless, they seemed to enjoy themselves, up until the fun transformed into seriousness, the topic of Niklaus' behavior and the subject of love entering their conversation. Eavesdropping, Amelia found herself saddened again, frowning at the mention of Niklaus; she really missed his presence.

Immediately following a brief silence, which entered the atmosphere shortly after the topic of love concluded, Niklaus made his presence known. His clothing was bloodied like the night Amelia found him, though he gave a logical explanation for it, which Katerina believed. He didn't speak a word to Amelia as he shortly spoke with Elijah and Katerina, which created more sadness within the younger female. She never spoke up, though; she never gained the courage to, from fear of what he'd say. Shortly thereafter, he led Katerina away.

Sometime afterwards, with very little conversation occurring between them, Amelia found herself inside the study with Elijah, where they would remain for the rest of the day. For the longest time, they didn't speak, reading silently to themselves or browsing through the books; neither were in a conversing mood. When nightfall eventually came, Amelia briefly left the study to change into a nightly gown, quickly returning shortly after; she simply just didn't wish for rest.

That was when they finally spoke to one another, though neither knew it would be the last time for many years to come...

Amelia's fingers gently trailed along the bindings of various books laying amongst the shelves, each title barely catching her gaze as she skimmed through. Because of her motions, one could easily believe her to be bored, but in reality, she merely grew tired as the call for rest began strengthening. Removing her fingers from the books, she turned around, glancing towards Elijah, who sat on the nearby furniture. Her brief gaze became longer as she studied his expression; the emotions he displayed flickered between thoughtful and dismay, as though he were trying to appear unbothered but was unable to remain falsely so. "You appear to be troubled," she softly spoke, expressing her concern through tone. "May I ask what bothers you so?"

Vacantly staring at nothing in particular as he thought of his matters, unaware of his emotions being openly displayed, Elijah was brought back into reality when he heard Amelia speak. Ever-so-slightly, he turned his head towards her in recognition. Unlike their past conversings, he felt no guilt as he stared upon her face; he long since forgiven himself for his absence in Seline's life and was content with the friendship he gained from Amelia. A gentle smile appeared, though his bothered expression remained. "It appears nothing can slip past you, little one," he stated without malice. Although she gave a stern look when she believed him to be stalling, he simply took his time with wording the situation. "Someone I care very much for; I fear harm may be coming to them."

"Harm, you say?" Eyes widening further with concern, many thoughts flooded her mind but she asked him nothing, never wishing to make the man uncomfortable. Who was the person in which he cared so much for? Why were they potentially in danger? Those were the questions repeating the most within her head. Perhaps it was one of the servants she befriended or it well could be her twin; she couldn't be certain, though. As for the other, she couldn't quite think of a reasoning for why anyone would be in harm's way whilst under the watchful eyes of the noble family; she knew that perhaps they had enemies but considering the aftermath of a slaughter she witnessed caused by Niklaus, she couldn't see anyone possibly winning against them. Even so, she was worried for the unnamed person, whether they were human or otherwise.

Elijah didn't look away from her as he spoke, not at first. "My family has a great many foes, some who may attempt to take part in harming my special one." He glanced away, gazing at nothing in particular. What he'd spoken was true; his family did have a number of foes but none knew of the doppelganger or her twin. No, the person of concern was Niklaus; he planned to kill Katerina to break his curse but perhaps there was another way. His tone grew quieter. "We may be near invisible, my family and I, but the one I hold dear is not." He gazed back at her. "That is what troubles me so."

Her gaze softening, Amelia nodded in understanding but continued frowning in concern. His beloved was human like herself, that much was certain, which was a bit problematic if the enemies were exactly like the noble family in strength, agility, and appetite; without a proper defense, no human could withstand a vampire. Immediately, she worried for the humans living alongside her, especially her sister, but her main focus needed only to be on Elijah's beloved, for the sake of the conversation. "That is quite the predicament. Unfortunately, I do not have much guidance on how you are to go about protecting them. If you have any means of doing such without the cause of self injury or potential harm to innocent bystanders, do not hold back; hesitation can be our greatest weakness." She briefly paused. "The person you care for, they are a woman, yes?" His faint smile confirmed her suspicion. "I expected so; you speak as though you love them in a way that is romantic." She sighed and gave a half-smile. "I have faith that you will be successful; you are not one to fail upon keeping your word, for I am almost certain you made a promise to protect her, whether it were direct or internal." Elijah stared at her in fascination, never responding. She became worried for another reason. "...Have I spoken out of term?"

Smiling, Elijah shook his head, suppressing laughter. "No. It's just, you are an extraordinary young woman; I expected nothing less."

Happiness swelling within, Amelia smiled brightly, an involuntary but welcome giggle escaping. "If you say such, then it must be certain." She gently brushed her gown, giving her hands a task. "I wish you all the happiness in the world; you deserve it, your family too." She lifted a hand to cover her mouth as a yawn left her. "It appears I must rest." Slowly, she approached; when she stood beside his chair, she leaned over to hug him. Although he was a tad surprised by the sudden embrace, Elijah returned the gesture. "Hold on to your love, Elijah; not everyone is fortunate enough to find such, so do not allow it to slip past your fingers." Lightly curtsying, she walked out of the study with a saddened smile...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warnings: Potential Incorrect Knowledge, Potential Incorrect Phrasing, Wikia of the Series Was Used, Outfits For The Original Character Tend to be the Only Ones Described (We've Seen the Series)


	5. Damned; April 6th, 1492

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which the Petrova twins become vampires...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Internet connection issues, trying to make sentences sound sensible, and the distractions of real-life are a bitch. Three chapters or more could've been out by now if it weren't for those reasons.
> 
> This series will consist of five stories. We're hoping you'll stick around through this journey; it's gonna be a long one.

**♬ Bad Dream - Ruelle ♬**

* * *

The final day of humanity for the Petrova twins arrived; however, neither were aware. Vampirism stared them down directly, yet they never took notice; danger lurked nearby, yet neither knew it was advancing. Their impending fates slowly but surely creeping upon them, they spent their last day as mundanes like any other; apart and with others, clueless of what approached...

Memories intact, Amelia never expected the outcome of that terrible, cruel night. She'd known of the risks that came with befriending vampires, but never did she think such tragedy would befall upon them so soon. Perhaps she should've been aware of the dangers to Katerina; in some manner, Elijah warned her but she listened too late...

Although Amelia learnt of vampirism first, Katerina was the one to discover the grim truth behind her courting; a ritual was to be held, which would lead to her inevitable demise. How she found out was simple; she stumbled across it when snooping around _Klaus'_ belongings. The details were within a journal, alongside information about her twin that she couldn't quite comprehend. The talk of breaking curses, supposed reincarnation, and the eventual vampirism of her sister worried her so. She did not wish to be sacrificed, nor did she want her sister to be left amongst those that would harm her. She refused their permanent separation; they deserved better fates than that.

Knowing time was limited, she searched endlessly for the moonstone, an item meant for the ritual. She needed to take precautions; if Klaus didn't have it, there would be no sacrifice, were he to locate her again; she planned on running away once finding the object of her freedom. Luckily, it was inside the bedroom, hidden within the furniture; it wasn't a complete surprise that he'd keep it close by.

Shortly thereafter, she ran to collect Amelia from the study, the one location she spent most of her time; conveniently, Elijah was absent, needed elsewhere for far more important matters than silently bonding through a mutual pastime. Without explanation, Katerina dragged her confused, but cooperative, twin along as she began their escape, ignoring her sister's continuous questioning; she didn't have the proper amount of time to let it be known that danger was afoot.

When running through the darkness, heading into the nearby forest, Katerina finally explained her terrifying findings between labored breaths. She expected a reaction similar to her own; fright. Instead, though it was temporary, Amelia expressed disbelief; Niklaus and Elijah would never harm them, none of the vampires they'd come to know would; she trusted them. Then, as she continued following Katerina's lead without much choice, the emotion flickered into another; anguish.

The issue was not the probability of her becoming a replacement; she strongly believed Niklaus and Elijah genuinely cared for her, regardless of the supposed reincarnation. Instead, the extreme distress lied with the thought of them wishing harm upon Katerina; her twin did not deserve death, although Amelia could understand the reasoning behind why such sacrifice was necessary. Even so, without further reluctance, she continued running alongside her sister; family came first, always, though she felt guilty for betraying her friends in the process.

Unfortunately for the Petrova twins, their mundane speed was no match for the quickness of the vampires pursuing them; their disappearance was already well-known. Consequently, the sisters were forced into hiding behind a tree, in an attempt to avoid their fates; although Amelia was uncaring about anything that could occur to herself and merely worried for her twin's safety, Katerina wished for her sister to remain alive, particularly human. Luck, fortunately, was suddenly on their side; Elijah and his men were led astray.

Seconds passed; only the sound of the sisters' rushed breathing filled the atmosphere inside the quiet forest. However, they remained hidden; their pursuers could quickly and easily return. Suddenly, with only another second passing, a twig snapped; startled, they spun around. Thankfully, it was merely their mutual friend, and savior, Trevor. Even so, Katerina remained frightened and Amelia ever-so-slightly relaxed.

With such precious little time, Trevor instructed them to run east, where they should then look for a cottage. Unable to give further guidance, he ran; he needed to keep Elijah and the others off their tracks for as long as possible; luckily, Klaus was allowing everyone else to do the hard work for him or they'd already be screwed. Immediately after he vanished, Amelia and Katerina quickly traveled in the direction he suggested; within a short time, and after much running, they found what was meant for salvation, only for their escape to never truly come...

Instead of properly knocking, Katerina smacked her palm against the cottage door repeatedly, desperate for an end to the nightmare surrounding her. She could feel the touch of death as her skin crawled with dread and anxiety; she wasn't ready to enter the next world. She pounded on the closed doorway harder.

Behind her, Amelia stood gazing around the forest, listening in silence. Awaiting for a sign of their pursuers, none surfaced as her sister's persistent wacking of the door continued. Certain they were safe for the time being, she glanced away from the surrounding woodlands and gazed downward; the ends of her long white gown, another gift from Rebekah given to her through Niklaus, were ruined, stained in mud; she would never wear it again after that fateful night...

Suddenly, the cottage door opened a tad. Startled, Katerina quickly pressed her back against the hedge surrounding the small home; her eyes, fueled by fear, stared upon the elder woman peeking back at her. As she briefly felt Amelia's sleeve brushing against her own, a wave of courage entered her heart; unfortunately, it deteriorated when the older woman made haste to abandon them, despite their request of immediate assistance. However, once Katerina mentioned Trevor, a youthful woman appeared from within the cottage, a vampire named Rose-Marie; she reluctantly allowed them inside.

The Petrova twins sat before a fireplace upon entering. Although they'd found refuge, the eldest could not ease her fears; Klaus was still too close by. Amelia softly grasped Katerina's hand, gently brushing the back of her palm; it didn't help soothe her nerves but the gesture was appreciated. Briefly lost in their own worlds of anxiety and temporary relief, they never noticed the absence of the elderly woman, who left to fetch them food and water through Rose's compelling order, nor did they seem to realize they were being closely watched by the aforementioned vampire.

The quiet serenity was short-lived.

The sisters became very aware of Rose's continuous stare as Katerina began a brief explanation of their predicament, though neither appeared to be bothered; perhaps the vampire was curious about them. Unfortunately for the twins, instead of assisting them further when the recitation concluded, Rose chose to forcefully lock them inside a bedroom; she planned on returning them to Klaus, as a means of protecting herself and Trevor from his impending wrath.

Extremely frightened by the idea of returning to Klaus, Katerina frantically pounded on the locked door with her fists. The night wasn't supposed to end in such a negative way; she was supposed to escape with her sister, completely unharmed. She should've known that Trevor's words were too good to be true; he signed their death warrant, as unintentional as that was. She refused to be slaughtered. She refused to lose Amelia. Giving up on the door, she focused her fighting spirit on finding another way out of their predicament; she wasn't going to lose hope yet. They were going to survive the night and many more to come. _But how...?_

Silently, Amelia watched; however, her eyes weren't truly seeing. She drifted deep into her mind. Perhaps she and her sister were thinking too selfishly. Until Rose mentioned it, not once did she think of the consequences that would befall upon those aiding them; she'd only thought about keeping Katerina safe. But what was one life, turned two, compared to many? She couldn't allow Rose, Trevor, or anyone else to take the blame; they didn't deserve it. She and Katerina needed to accept the reality of their situation; they shouldn't prevent their fates if doing so would only cause more destruction. She didn't wish for anyone to die because of their selfishness.

Amelia escaped her inner thoughts, reentering reality. Opening her mouth to begin a discussion of what she'd been thinking, her forming words became a gasp of horror upon her realization of what she was suddenly witnessing; Katerina was removing a knife from her abdomen. She rushed forward, immediately taking the utensil and tossing it across the room. She inspected her sister's self-inflicted wound; already, a section of Katerina's clothing was becoming coated with her blood. Ignoring Katerina's insistence of her committing self-harm too, Amelia helped her into bed and pressed the sheets against her abdomen, attempting to stop the bleeding. Blinded by her concern, she never noticed the mischievous glint in Katerina's eyes...

The door unlocked; Rose stepped into the room with some rope in her hands. However, any plans she had about tying them up was quickly forgotten when she noticed the dilemma before her. Tossing the rope aside, she roughly pushed Amelia away from Katerina. Biting into her own wrist, she forced the wounded human to feed from her, allowing the self-inflicted wound to heal quickly. Unfortunately from there, matters became more hectic.

Having lost Elijah and the others, for as brief of a period as it was likely to be, Trevor entered the cottage, searching for the twins. Before he could make a move to reunite with them, Rose ran out of the bedroom and pinned him to the nearby wall. Immediately, a spat about his decision began. It likely would've continued into the night, with both constantly disagreeing, if Amelia hadn't chosen to step in the midst of the aggressive discussion; suddenly hearing the human explain her willingness to die alongside the doppelganger surprised the vampires enough for them to separate and abruptly end their argument.

Not a moment later, they heard a disturbing sound, which came from the bedroom where Katerina remained. Upon the entry of the vampires and mundanes (the elderly woman long returned), all but the compelled human reacted to what was displayed before them; Katerina, with the rope Rose left behind in her outrage, was hanging from the ceiling, deceased. Bursting into uncontrollable tears, Amelia dropped onto her knees, hands hitting the wooden floor harshly as she looked away from the horrid sight. Sobbing continuously, she didn't watch as Trevor and Rose begrudgingly removed Katerina from the noose, nor did she see them placing her onto the bed again. It felt like the world was crashing down upon her all at once. All she could think about was her twin leaving her behind. All she could see, as she gazed sorrowfully at the floor, was the image of her sister's hanging corpse, appearing almost like a hallucination; with a blink, it'd vanish, only to appear again seconds later. Devastated by her loss, not once did the vampire transition information resurface in her mind.

Amelia remained on the floor, ignoring any spoken words as she further lost herself within grief. No amount of comfort could prevent her tears from flowing further, though she never noticed such attempts anyway. Her gaze stayed locked on the floor beneath her, hands soon clenching onto her clothing as the pain in her heart grew. _Why did any of the night's events happen?_ It wasn't fair. Not to her, not to Katerina, not to anyone. The night was completely in ruins.

She didn't know how much time passed as she sobbed on the floor; she wasn't aware of what was occurring around her, given that she was ignoring her surroundings as she continued her mourning. Nothing caught her attention for the longest of times, except for the unexpected arms that wrapped around her torso and the sudden sweet whisper that entered her ears. "I'm still here." Caught off-guard, Amelia quickly turned her head; smirking, Katerina was staring back at her, alive and well. Quite shocked but uncaring of how it happened, Amelia threw her arms around her sister and sobbed more but in relief and happiness.

How bittersweet of a moment it was.

Glaring at Katerina from nearby, Rose felt nothing but fury towards the doppelganger's previous actions; caring very little of the sorrow Amelia felt during the moments of Katerina's lifelessness, she only thought of how much trouble Trevor and herself would find themselves in for allowing such transition to occur in their temporary home. As the doppelganger stood from the floor alongside her seemingly harmless twin, Rose heavily expressed her resentment and growing hatred for the transitioning female's trickery. How Katerina gained any knowledge towards the makings of vampirism, she didn't know but it proved to be their downfall.

Brief in exchanging words, Rose attempted to end Katerina's life with a wooden stake; her newest plan involved killing Katerina, then returning Amelia to Klaus in hopes of softening the blow to the punishment she and Trevor would most likely receive for being even slightly involved in the dilemma surrounding the Petrova twins. Unfortunately, she was unable to do either. Katerina, pushing Amelia away so she wouldn't be harmed, used the elderly woman standing nearby as a shield, causing Rose to unintentionally injure the human fatally; from there, the doppelganger drank the dying woman's blood, completing her transition as the mundane went limp in her grasp. Pushing the dead woman towards Rose and Trevor, Katerina grabbed Amelia and sped off, leaving the older vampires behind to suffer for years to come.

Certain that they weren't being followed yet, Katerina stopped, releasing her tight grip on her sister. Amelia, stumbling from the sudden movements, studied herself and stared at her twin in disbelief, shock, horror, and outrage; everything happened so fast and all at once, she hadn't the time to react until that moment. The recent event reentering her mind again, Amelia became overwhelmed by her emotions; she'd been feeling too much all at once, from relief to devastation to happiness to everything else in between. The night wasn't being very kind.

Before Amelia could have a chance at expressing her newfound anger and disbelief of her sister's horrid and selfish decision making, Katerina bit into her own wrist and forcefully fed her blood. Not having expected such actions, originally thinking that her twin wouldn't be so rash towards her like with the vampires and dead servant, Amelia pushed away from Katerina and fell against a nearby tree, fearful of what would come next. She begged, pleading for her sister not to give her such a cruel fate; she wished to remain a mundane and die as one, permanently. Not caring to listen, Katerina broke Amelia's neck without hesitation, feeling absolutely no remorse for killing her twin. She watched gleefully as Amelia's body dropped to the ground. She tilted her head at the sight before her. "I am sorry, my darling Amelia, but I cannot go about this fate alone."

* * *

_"No. I will not abandon you to your sorrows."_

_"What has happened, dearest one? Who hurts you so? Oh, Niklaus. You deserve the world and more. Give it time."_

_"What greatness could befall us after losing you so shortly after Henrik? What good can result from this sadness? You were wrong. I wish you weren't. I miss you. I will always miss you."_

Amelia awakened from her temporary death, disoriented; no longer was she located within a section of the vast forest but instead resided inside what appeared to be an abandoned cabin, which was likely in the middle of nowhere so they wouldn't be found, at least not straight away. As she tried to gain her bearings of the newfound location, sitting up on the bedding she'd been lying upon, she was suddenly left overwhelmed again as everything came back to her.

For yet a second time, and possibly not the last, she felt too many emotions at once. She was frightened for her sanity; she didn't wish to be driven mad by hunger, nor did she want to harm anyone as a vampire, should she choose to complete her transition. She was distressed for reasons she couldn't entirely explain; the things she'd seen whilst unconscious, they weren't her memories, yet they felt like they were; they certainly didn't make her feel any better about betraying her friendships for her sister's life. _Katerina._ She was quite furious at her; not only did she cause trouble for Rose and Trevor intentionally, she purposely disregarded her wishes and killed her after forcing vampire blood down her throat. Amelia, despite her many friendships with vampires, never wanted such a cursed life, having to take from the living in order to function properly within the reborn lifestyle; she'd much rather die, though she felt extremely guilty for feeling that way.

She remained seated on the bedding, tears streaming down her cheeks as the reality of her situation settled further into her mind; she was in transition, no thanks to her slightly demented twin, and, from what she believed based on the memories she surprisingly gained and the knowledge of what Katerina read in Niklaus' journal, she was the apparent reincarnation of Seline, someone dear to Niklaus' family. She didn't know what to think of that, knowing she once lived but as someone else. She knew how she felt, though, which was, mainly, confused and worried; she wasn't Seline, but her newfound memories of her past life certainly strengthened how she felt towards Niklaus and his family, and she wasn't sure anymore about her confidence in how they felt about her as Amelia but maybe they wouldn't mind her being a combination of both.

Oh, how the night was cruel indeed; so much was happening and her mind could barely comprehend it all...

The metallic scent of blood suddenly entered her nostrils; instantaneously, she felt the urge to consume it. Upon feeling the impulse, she crawled backwards, ultimately falling off the bed, landing quite harshly onto the floor. Her crawling didn't cease until she was leaning against the wall, keeping herself planted on the wooden ground. Her eyes shifted to the doorway, watching as it slowly opened; a mundane, wounded and female, entered the room. The woman's neck was dripping blood, two crimson markings on the side of her throat; Katerina either got herself a snack or wished to tempt Amelia into transitioning completely against her better nature. The mundane approached slowly, acting almost as if she were in a trance, and smiled creepily. "You must be hungry, yes?" the woman asked, sounding as if she were cooing at an infant. "I was instructed to feed you."

Amelia raised her hand, palm forward, signalling for the injured woman to stop her advances; the human did no such thing. "Please, I beg of you; you mustn't come closer," she warned. "I wish you no harm, but if you choose not to remain elsewhere, I may perform regretful actions." The woman continued towards Amelia at a slow pace. "Why won't you listen...?"

"Do you like my new trick?" Glancing past the injured mundane, Amelia's eyes locked onto Katerina. She frowned at her smirking twin. Did she feel no remorse? It was almost as if she looked...entertained. "You know how I've always been a fast learner." She stepped into the room, looking quite pleased with herself, like she accomplished something magnificent. Amelia clenched her fists, remembering her anger, and gulped, flinching against the wall as the mundane grew closer and closer. "She isn't listening because I compelled her not to. Once you're like me, I'll teach you how to do it, too." With her newfound abilities, she sped to the bedding Amelia abandoned; Amelia flinched at the movement. "We don't have all night, sister. Finish off the girl. Then, we shall take our leave. Klaus is bound to find our trail. We mustn't mistake him for a daft man."

Amelia shook her head, keeping her hand raised towards the mundane; the human in question was almost too close for comfort. "If you honestly believe that I will willingly drink this woman's blood, you are sadly mistaken," she stated firmly, anger in her tone. Katerina sighed, rolling her eyes in an unladylike manner, raising her own hand towards the mundane. The woman stopped walking; she'd been compelled to follow Katerina's non-verbal commands, too. Amelia blinked, briefly surprised. She glanced at Katerina. "I'm not like you."

"Not yet, but soon, you shall be," Katerina answered. She brushed her hands against her bloodied gown as she stared at Amelia with false innocence. "All you must do is feed. Once you've done so, we will leave this place and never look back. We must do this before the sun rises."

Amelia frantically shook her head. "No! I shall not!" She pointed at the injured woman, her fears and anger erupting from her. "Make her leave! Please, sister!" She wouldn't be able to live with herself if she ever harmed someone.

Katerina stared at Amelia blankly. "Hmph." She smirked again. "Always so virtuous." She waved her hand. "No matter; once you've gotten a taste, all those pathetic morals of yours will vanish. You'll be free to do as you wish, without fear of consequence. Don't you want that, sister?"

"Why would anyone wish for a cursed life?! You certainly hadn't!" Amelia faltered, remembering her earlier devastation. "...Well, I wish to believe so…" She stood from the floor, back remaining against the wall as she kept her distance from the bleeding woman; the scent of her blood was really beginning to bother her. "I apologize; I shouldn't have yelled." Controlling her raging emotions, she gazed softly at Katerina. "I meant what I said; I shall not feed. The thirst would be far too great for me to control; I'd completely lose myself." She shook her head gently. "I am sorry, sister, but I refuse to take part in a life where I must harm others to survive. I'd much rather die."

Katerina scoffed. "I should've expected you'd be this difficult." She sighed angrily as she approached the injured woman. She stared grumpily at Amelia. "I rather hoped you'd be willing to feed from this human; I can see that I was wrong." She glanced at the woman. "I suppose I'll have to handle this situation myself." She gripped the human's arm and lifted it to her lips, biting into the skin with her fangs. Before Amelia could comprehend what was happening, her twin and the mundane were suddenly standing in front of her, blood soon being forced down her throat again.

"No!" Amelia shrieked. She pushed away from them. Her lips, chin, and gown were coated in the human's blood; she made an effort to wipe it away, but it only smeared. She whimpered, feeling the sudden formation of her fangs. "No!" She sped to the opposite side of the room, hitting the wall harshly. She poked at the newly formed fangs, too distraught to realize that her face was changing during her transformation, too; like any vampire, she had red blood-shot sclera with protruding veins around her eyes. She pricked her finger with her fang. "I... I can't be..." She stared at Katerina, horrified. "How could you...?"

"It's rather simple," Katerina stated. She eyed the human's bleeding arm and neck, licking her lips hungrily. "I didn't wish to be alone." She sank her fangs back into the mundane and drained her of what blood she had left. Amelia watched in horror, witnessing something she'd likely partake in someday, if she were to lose herself. Shortly thereafter, the human's corpse dropped roughly onto the floor. Katerina looked at Amelia, her true face remaining. "This, sister, is what we are now. We need not worry about human emotions anymore. We are free."

"No," Amelia disagreed in a somber tone. "We are damned."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warnings: Canon Divergence, Slight AU, Potential Incorrect Knowledge, Potential Incorrect Phrasing, Wikia Used, Outfits for Original Character Tend to be Only Described, Suicide, Sorrow/Anguish, Lacks Dialogue, Manipulative Tactics


	6. Resentment; 1492

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Amelia Petrova feels negative emotions...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We appreciate the continued support! Thank you very much!
> 
> Important Message: Don't force yourself into continuing something when you're not feeling it. Take care of yourself; if something's going on, take some time off from whatever you're doing and focus on helping you. Don't allow your mental, emotional, physical, etc issues get the best of you. Things always get better. You have our undying support.

**♬ Deep End - Ruelle ♬**

* * *

_Beneath a tree overlooking a nearby village, there sat a child. Instead of playing amongst those of her age cycle, who roamed the open field behind her, the girl spent her time in silent solitude, appreciating what they would not; nature and its eternal beauty. Although various flowers surrounded where she sat, her attention remained fixated elsewhere; the cloudy sky. It was the most beautiful creation on Earth, the sky; she wished her village could cherish it as much as she did. Even the clouds held beauty; without them, the skies would always look dull, amongst other reasons of their importance. Yes, the combination was truly a sight._

_The gentle breeze grazed her porcelain face, creating enough force to cause her hair to flow slightly towards the side despite its short length. Her eyes of deep-brown continued their gazing of the sky, shifting from cloud to cloud. Her arms, which rested motionlessly at her sides, raised, fingers lightly curling into her brown locks as she rested her elbows upon her knees, head somewhat resting beneath her palms. Her peasant gown kept her modest but her newfound position was quite unfitting for a growing lady; however, with her father out of sight, she held no fear of being caught in such display._

_The child was none other than Amelia Petrova, aged twelve._

_Shortly thereafter, someone approached from behind, their shadow giving away their position; despite their silence, shade was created by their arrival, blocking out the sunlight. Noticing the sudden dim light, Amelia stopped gazing at the skies to glance towards the intruder, switching back into her previous position of simply sitting there, arms at her sides._

_Skin an olive tone, hair longer and darker, especially curlier, and eyes a lighter shade of brown, Katerina stood there, staring curiously down at her willingly lonesome twin. Before then, as the days passed by, not once did she ever approach Amelia when she made her consistent choice of being alone by the tree; Katerina had always kept her focus on the other children, who she played with everyday when they escaped the presence of their strict parents. For once, she found herself wondering why Amelia behaved so differently; so, there she was, standing before her twin. “_ **_Amelia_ ** _,” she spoke in their native tongue. “_ **_Why do you always come here by your lonesome instead of adventuring amongst the others and myself? You are aware that father will not catch us, yes? Why not allow yourself some freedom from his strictness, his rules?_ ** _”_

_Amelia frowned, her moment of contentment broken. “_ **_The games you play, they are a lie; you act as children, yet none of us truly are anymore._ ** _” Her eyes clouded with sadness. “_ **_Our fathers have seen to that with their teachings._ ** _” She glanced away from Katerina._ **_“You and I, we are meant to be proper ladies with strong appeal, all whilst we prepare for the lessons we shall be given when we’re of age._ ** _”_

_Katerina sighed, frowning; the conversation was going to be more serious than she originally thought. “ **You speak of our inheritance.** ” _

_Amelia shook her head. “ **No** ,” she disagreed. “ **I speak of their form of witchcraft and the darkness that shall arise further when our time comes to partake in its mysteries.** ” She gazed at Katerina again, distraught. “ **We are not allowed to know but so much of its existence at this age.** ” She began speaking lower, almost whispering. “ **I fear it shall bring not only us to ruin but others placed before its path unwillingly.** ”_

_“ **You merely fear it because it is an unknown power**.” Katerina shifted where she stood, her newfound posture expressing her annoyance. “ **Surely it cannot contain the darkness you speak of; those before us lived long extraordinary lives with such a blessing guiding them**.” Shaking her head at the ridiculousness of her twin, she shifted again, looking as confident as she sounded. “ **So shall we, when our time comes**.”_

_“ **But at what cost, sister? Whose life will be shortened to prolong ours? What shall be taken?** ” Shaking her head again, Amelia glanced away from Katerina, gazing ahead, eyeing their village. Oh, how she wished their life were more simpler, less stressing. “ **All magic comes with a price; this, I am most certain. Something will be lost, nonetheless.** ” _

_Huffing, Katerina moved until she was directly in front of Amelia, soon sitting down on her knees, staring at her. “ **I understand your worry for the loss of life, but not everyone can be spared from a short cruel one; that is how humankind works.** ” When Amelia broke their eye contact, Katerina sighed and reached forward, taking her sister’s hands within her own. “ **Look at me, sister.** ” Amelia reluctantly glanced back at her. “ **I cannot ease your anxieties towards death of innocence, but I can promise you that no matter what occurs, you shall always have me by your side.** ” She tightened her grip. “ **Together, forever, we will always be one; I shall never leave you.** ” _

_Teary eyed, Amelia finally managed a smile, moved by her sister’s promise. “ **And I shall never leave you.** ” She squeezed Katerina’s hands. “ **Together, forever, we will always be one.** ” And from that day, they never parted from one another very long, keeping true to their oath… _

* * *

Standing within a field of Chrysanthemums, Amelia stared at the night sky, tears pouring down her cheeks, which she made no effort to brush away. The beauty of nature, and her favorite flowers for two separate lifetimes, could give her no comfort, not like they used to; everything was vastly different, far more complex than she ever wanted things to be...

Surviving on blood was a nuisance; she never killed anyone, staying true to her morals, but unfortunately, protecting one virtue destroyed another as she reluctantly allowed Katerina to do what she could not, unwilling to fight her on that front. She could no longer feel sunlight, not unless she wished for a painful demise; instead of roaming fields, soaking in the daylight as she admired nature in all of its glory, she was finding herself sealed within a room or cave alongside her twin until nightfall would arrive again. Unfortunately, she was only capable of nightly runs where they were forced to continue distancing themselves from Niklaus and his family, who would likely hunt them until they died. Such drastic changes in her lifestyle were...very disheartening.

And it was happening all because of her twin. Her twin…

Suddenly, her tears became angry. She glared at the sky, though it wasn’t at fault for her returning rage. Katerina. It was all her fault, everything. She was forced into such a horrid lifestyle because of her sister’s unwillingness to be alone in her travels; she hadn’t respected her choice and took it from her without remorse and hesitation. She’d shown her true self that night.

She never should’ve made that promise. It cursed her.

She didn’t want to feel angry or resentful of her twin; she was the only person left in her life. Many times, she tried distracting herself from what happened but everything led right back to Katerina’s betrayal, whether it was from her current timeline or her past life. Thinking about the good times with Niklaus and his family, in both lives, only brought her more sorrow, regret, and anger. Trying to normalize the situation always ended in pain whenever she’d accidentally burn herself from sunlight and relive the newfound hunger that was trying to consume her. Thinking about all the kind people from the mansion made her sad because she didn’t know if they were wrongly punished or not for the actions of Katerina and herself. Her mind just would not allow her to forget such a recent emotional wound; it hurt so much. She could only hope that the emotions would fade with the passage of time.

She could only hope that Niklaus would give her time to apologize before he ended them both…

She fidgeted with the sleeves of her lengthy dress, it’s color symbolizing everything she felt, who she was, and how she saw things; she was fearful of the future and felt aggression for what happened, her way of thinking and how she presented herself remained formal, and she was in mourning of her short-lived times as a mundane, seeing what occurred in a more pessimistic light. She pulled on her sleeves harder, frustrated with her continuous overwhelming emotions. How could anything get better when her feelings were heightened by her new senses? Was it dumb for her to be hopeful of things getting better?

Quick, sudden movement occurring behind her indicated the arrival of Katerina. Amelia tried ignoring her, wanting some additional time away from the woman, but the cruelty of life had other plans in mind. “What are you doing?” Katerina questioned her. Approaching quickly but without the newfound vampiric speed, appearing delicate in her white gown when she was anything but such, she grabbed Amelia’s arm and began dragging her along, moving forward at the same pace. “There is no time for your admiring; Klaus could come upon us any moment. We must continue distancing ourselves from him.”

Clenching her fists as she continued to angrily cry, Amelia spoke as calmly as she could; she would not let her anger completely control her. As long as she kept a neutral tone, her incoming passive aggressiveness would not go overboard; she would not raise her voice, even if her sister deserved such loud harsh words. “I would not have to distance myself if it were not for you, Katerina.”

Their walking immediately paused. Katerina quickly looked at her, glaring; her grip on Amelia’s arm tightened. “What I did was for _our_ survival. He was going to sacrifice me, Amelia. You would have been his slave if it were not for my quick thinking.”

Amelia, despite her anger, gently shook her head, eyes filling with sadness. “If you truly believe that, you do not know Niklaus.”

Narrowing her eyes, Katerina stared at her twin. “Whatever you experienced with him, it was a lie. He only wanted us for his plans; he never cared.”

Thoughts of Niklaus entered Amelia’s mind further. Every interaction between them, there was never any sign of him being disingenuous; he found her amusing when she spoke her mind, he found her presence soothing when his day wasn’t going well, and he was never hostile towards her, not even when he was angry. As Seline, his brief hostility towards her wasn’t because of her; it was because he was lonely and hurting, unable to trust others easily. He just needed a genuine friendship with someone then, and he had wanted the same with her. Not Seline, but Amelia; he clearly saw a difference between the two. He truly cared for her...and she let him down. All because she promised Katerina they’d always stick together. “Perhaps not for you,” she uttered, calmly eyeing her twin.

Katerina’s glaring intensified. “Amelia, he only saw you as Seline, the woman he once loved. He just wants _her_ back; he does not want _you_. He’ll never really want you.”

Amelia grimaced at her sister’s wording. “You are wrong.” She yanked her arm free from Katerina’s grasp and took a step back. “He just wanted a friend again, someone he could trust wholeheartedly without fear of abandonment or disloyalty, someone who loves him unconditionally, but you took that away from him.” She briefly paused, whispering. “And so did I.” She turned away. “Oh, what have I done…? He must have been so hopeful… On the verge of genuine happiness again… And then that hope was torn away because of our fear for losing each other. He did not deserve that...”

“Did you not hear my words?” Katerina questioned, glaring at the back of Amelia’s head. “He was going to kill me! He still plans to, and now, you are in his sights as well!”

Amelia turned towards her again, frowning; what started as passive aggressiveness turned into complete sadness and guilt. However, she wasn’t exactly done with speaking her mind. “I am fully aware, but it is my own fault for that.” She gave Katerina a brief angry stare. “I should not have left but I did not see you as the manipulative, deceiving person you are.” Her expression turned sad again. “You took my choice from me; Niklaus never would have done that. As selfish as he may be towards everything else, he would not have forced that decision upon me, not even if he were desperate to keep me.” She believed that their friendship extended that far; she believed he would never risk destroying their profound bond. Unfortunately, she’d done that herself...

Katerina shook her head, continuing to glare and yell. “You are delusional!”

Amelia replied with grace. “Believe what you may. All that matters to me is I know the truth. And when the day comes for us to die at his hands, I will seek his forgiveness as I accept my fate, as you should have done many nights ago.”

Katerina continued shaking her head, turning from Amelia. “I never thought you would become this pathetic; we’ll have to break you of that.” She glanced back towards her twin. “Come; we have wasted enough time here.”

Amelia sighed, feeling dejected; she didn’t have anything left. “Okay…” She only had her sister now. And perhaps she was right...

* * *

Several months following the events of the Petrova twins becoming vampires, they returned to the home they were banished from, only to find a horrendous sight...

They rode on horseback, cautious; they needed to be careful not to out themselves as unnatural creatures of the night to the people of their former village. The first red flag of something astray was the silence and absence of humans as they passed through; the land appeared deserted. Their second, and last, warning was at the home they once slept in...

Katerina removed herself from the horse; stepping towards her former home, she dropped the hood of her multi-colored gown, staring in shock and dread at the display before her. People who worked their lands, neighbors and helping hands of their family, lied dead on the ground, their carts turned at the sides as if knocked over by a strong force. Panicked at the sight, she sprinted towards her home, the door wide open...

Still on the horse, Amelia stared at the deceased, emotionally detached from the situation; she’d seen so much death of innocent lives by the hands of her twin, she wasn’t phased anymore, and if they didn’t feel like such strangers, including the folks lying dead before her, perhaps she would’ve still felt something. Removing herself from the horse, clothed in a black gown, she started walking towards the house she once called home…

Stepping into the room that began their banishment, the first corpse she saw was her father; impaled through the chest with a sword, he was hanging from the wall beside the entrance of the household, incredibly hard to miss. She simply tilted her head at the sight, indifferent. Looking away from his body, her eyes locked onto the bed where Katerina had given birth; leaning against the end was the corpse of their younger sister, who looked to have been completely drained of blood through her neck, and atop the sheets laid their mother, killed in the same manner but placed in a different display, cradled in the arms of Katerina, who was openly weeping. The sight caused a tear to finally shed, slowly slipping down Amelia’s cheek, but no more were produced; it was a teardrop for a past that she couldn’t get back...

Punishment of their betrayal, their people and family were viciously slaughtered by Niklaus. However, Amelia expressed no ill emotions towards him for it; she understood why it happened. Glancing at Katerina briefly, they locked eyes. Looking away, gazing between the corpses of their lost loved ones, she uttered, “Together, forever, we will always be one.” Seconds later, her sobbing twin muttered the same phrase; never would Amelia tell Katerina that those words were no longer meant for her...

Just some ways away, there was a clearing with a single tree, which overlooked the village in the woods. It was where a promise was made between twins... And what a cursed promise it was...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Canon Divergence, Slight AU, Potential Incorrect Knowledge, Potential Incorrect Phrasing, Wikia Used, Outfits for Original Character Tend to be Only Described, Sorrow/Anguish, Manipulative Tactics, and Flashback  
> _
> 
> If you are in a toxic environment, try to get out of it; work hard, even if you gotta do something you really don't want to; take baby steps. That's what I'm trying to do, starting with finding either an online job or a physical one where I don't have to interact very long with people (because that makes me extremely anxious, alongside being in certain situations). Wish me luck (my sister as well; she's trying to get outta here, too; we're not certain of how we'll get our other siblings out with us but hopefully we won't be forced to leave them behind).

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading! Stay safe, everyone! Much love! <3


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